Cresco, IA housing market
The typical Cresco home is worth about $217,000, up 9.3% in a year, 10% below the Iowa typical home.
Home values, sales, trends and how Cresco compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Cresco at a glance
Typical home value, 2016–2026
Show as a table
| January | Cresco | Iowa |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $112,000 | $147,000 |
| 2018 | $117,000 | $152,000 |
| 2019 | $125,000 | $159,000 |
| 2020 | $129,000 | $167,000 |
| 2021 | $141,000 | $179,000 |
| 2022 | $163,000 | $195,000 |
| 2023 | $180,000 | $211,000 |
| 2024 | $185,000 | $218,000 |
| 2025 | $194,000 | $228,000 |
| 2026 | $206,000 | $236,000 |
| August 2026 | $217,000 | $240,000 |
5 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 5 new homes in Cresco in 2025, all single-family houses, worth about $1.3 million to build. That's 1.3 per 1,000 residents, slower than across Iowa (4.7). Over the past 10 years, Cresco has permitted 54 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Cresco gained 20 residents while 36 new homes were permitted: about 0.6 new residents per new home. Building outpaced population growth, which usually means smaller households or homes used part of the year. Across Iowa: 1.3 new residents per new home.
Residents: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 and 2020 censuses. New homes: permits issued 2010–2019.
Show as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 1 | 1 | 0 | $600,000 |
| 2025 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $1.3 million |
| 2024 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $2.9 million |
| 2023 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $1.7 million |
| 2022 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $900,000 |
| 2021 | 9 | 7 | 2 | $2.2 million |
| 2020 | 10 | 4 | 6 | $2.4 million |
| 2019 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $1 million |
| 2018 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $1.4 million |
| 2017 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $200,000 |
| 2016 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $1.2 million |
| 2015 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $450,000 |
| 2014 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $320,000 |
| 2013 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $705,000 |
| 2012 | 6 | 4 | 2 | $1.2 million |
| 2011 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $963,000 |
| 2010 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $891,000 |
| 2009 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $739,000 |
| 2008 | 22 | 22 | 0 | $3.4 million |
| 2007 | 14 | 8 | 6 | $1.4 million |
| 2006 | 12 | 12 | 0 | $1.9 million |
| 2005 | 17 | 13 | 4 | $1.9 million |
| 2004 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $1 million |
| 2003 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $240,000 |
| 2002 | 7 | 7 | 0 | $745,000 |
| 2001 | 9 | 9 | 0 | $960,000 |
| 2000 | 16 | 16 | 0 | $1.4 million |
How Cresco ranks on new homes being built →
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
3.6 years of income
The typical Cresco home costs about 3.6 years of the town's median household income, more than across Iowa (3.2 years).
How Cresco ranks on affordability →
Home value ÷ ACS median household income.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,000
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Cresco is $1,000 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Cresco pay a median of $715, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put. A two-bedroom takes about 20% of the town's median household income.
Studio $740 · 4 bedrooms $1,580
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (52136; Howard County, IA), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, August 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers.