Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Community Building is on the National Register of Historic Places. Princeton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Princeton beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1899.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Princeton. Close and well known come first.
14 mi Ancient siteRock Island Arsenal
18 mi MuseumBlack Hawk State Historic Site
15 mi MuseumFigge Art Museum77K visitors a year
16 mi MuseumPutnam Museum16 mi Zoo & aquariumNiabi Zoo
6 mi MuseumBuffalo Bill Cody HomesteadRock Island Arsenal: Robert A, Ryan, J. Ceronia, and Bruce A. Harms, Photographers, Public domain · Black Hawk State Historic Site: Bill Whittaker (talk). Original uploader was Billwhittaker at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Figge Art Museum: Ctjf83, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Putnam Museum: Ctjf83 of English Wikipedia (log), Public domain · Buffalo Bill Cody Homestead: Kepper66, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Princeton, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Princeton.
In Princeton, 85% of households live in a home they own. Values rose 6.2% in the 12 months to September 2026.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the North Scott Community School District. Enrollment at Princeton’s public school: 152 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virgil Grissom Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 152 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts
Half the trips to work are shorter than 15 miles. Jobs based in Princeton fell to 106 in 2023, 76 fewer than in 2013. The mean commuting time for Princeton comes to 27 minutes, above both the Iowa town median (19 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Among residents locally, 3.9% live below the poverty line.
| Princeton | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2% | 31% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 3.9% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 4.8% | 8.5% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Just over a fifth of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 31% across Iowa. For residents in Princeton, the share who are under 18 is 17%. Adults 35 to 64 are 47% of residents (37% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 13% of residents (23% statewide).
| Princeton | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 50 years | 38.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 17% | 23% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 23% | 19% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 22% | 25% | 29% |
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.5 points. Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Princeton | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.3% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.8% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.2% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 6.7% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.6% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 15.2% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 17.1% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 14.1% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.9% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.4% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 31.9% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 26.3% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 15.4% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.9% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 4.1% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 900, single groups can be off by several points
July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 14° and about 32 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
FEMA puts two thirds of Princeton’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 10% to drought. Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in nearly two thirds of U.S. communities. The national flood insurance program has paid 25 claims in the town since 1986.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown. No violent or property crimes were reported in Princeton in 2025.
Princeton is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The share of adults in Princeton who say their health is fair or poor: 17%. CDC measures, 32 in all: Princeton beats Iowa on 3 and trails on 1. In Princeton, 41% of adults have obesity, and 23% get no exercise outside work.
| Princeton | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 20% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 38% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 26% | 25% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 32% | 36% |
| What stands out | Princeton | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.7% | 7.3% |
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 71.8% | 66.6% |
| More adults with arthritis | 30.7% | 27% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Count the trails in 3 parks and preserves and they come to 0.3 miles. In Princeton, the trail density is 0.1 miles per square mile.
| Princeton | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.9% | 3.1% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Harold Woomert's Water Tower Park | 0.2 mi | 15 |
| 2. City Park | 0.1 mi | 2 |
| 3. Old School Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
4 within 15 miles of the center of Princeton
About 2 of every 100 Princeton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
Where Princeton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Iowa, United States
Princeton is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States. The population was 923 at the time of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Princeton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
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