Of the 141 Iowa towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Prescott. Prescott has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Small town

186 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns

Corning · 7 mi Cromwell · 8 mi Lenox · 10 mi Carbon · 11 mi Creston · 13 mi Sharpsburg · 15 mi

Prescott, IA, 2019

Prescott’s story

156 years in pictures

Census counts: 248 in 1880, a peak of 446 in 1900, 191 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1980 on.

1870Prescott is settled

Explore the history →

Getting set up

Moving to Prescott: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Prescott, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →

PowerInterstate Power and Light17.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA

Internet2 providers93% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Prescott’s trash rules yet

SchoolsCreston Community School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES

Register to voteOnlineIn Iowa you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.gov

Who runs elections hereAdams County AuditorAdams County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025

ZIP code5085950859 100%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Prescott.

Work & commute

With 0.0 jobs for every working resident, most of Prescott’s workers commute out

4.7% of residents live below the poverty line in Prescott, where Iowa’s towns sit at 11% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. The average trip to work in Prescott is 20 minutes. The top destinations are Creston (18%), Corning (15%) and Des Moines (5%).

0%work in town

	Prescott	Iowa towns	U.S. towns
Below the poverty line	4.7%	11%	9.6%
Average trip to work	20 minutes	19 minutes	25 minutes
Median household income	$65,000	$69,000	$80,000

Where working residents work

In Prescott0%

Creston18%

Corning15%

Des Moines5%

Lenox4%

14 mi

median commute distance

jobs based in Prescott

A commuter town

jobs vs. working residents

Full pagePrescott’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here2 jobs based here · A commuter town Where people work0% work in Prescott Commute times20 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 14 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Climate

Four seasons and pleasant summers in Prescott

Prescott has cold winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 13° and about 28 inches of snow falls in a winter.

28″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter16–35°

Spring39–61°

Summer62–83°

Fall40–63°

Oct 12

typical first frost

Apr 27

typical last frost

+0.8°

vs. the 20th-century average

Full pagePrescott’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 85°, January lows 13°Rain & snow28″ of snow a winter · 36 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingMostly a heating bill Then and now+0.8° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Health

How healthy Prescott is

Prescott tracks Iowa closely on all 32 CDC measures. 20% of adults binge drink in Prescott, near the Iowa town median (20%) and above the median of U.S. towns (16%). 32% of Prescott adults sleep under 7 hours.