Creston is a city in and the county seat of Union County, Iowa. The population was 7,536 at the time of the 2020 Census. Creston is a regional hub for southwest Iowa and is home to Southwestern Community College.

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How Creston ranks

All →

#5Highest graduation rate in IA #8Most walkable in IA #9Cheapest rent in IA All IA rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code50801

Area code641

Living in Creston

Housing in Creston

$156K▲ 3.5% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Creston home is worth about $156,000, up 3.5% in a year, 35% below the Iowa typical home.

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Creston

C⁺

Safety Grade C+

Creston reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 61% report less.

Violent crime per 1,000

Creston 4.5

Iowa 2.4

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Creston 8.2

Iowa 12

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Work & commute in Creston

Full picture →

41% of Creston’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are Des Moines (4%), West Des Moines (2%) and Greenfield (2%). Half commute less than 9 miles.

Des Moines

West Des Moines

Greenfield

Lenox

41%Work in townlive and work in Creston 9 miWhere do people commute?the commute map 3,828Jobs based herebalanced

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in Creston →

Health in Creston

C⁺

Health Grade C+

Healthier than 43% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates, and 78% of towns with similar incomes.

Compared with Iowa

3worse than IA

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 29 are too close to call.

Conditions 3▼ 9 close Habits all close Care all close Mind all close Everyday needs all close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

8.3%More adults with COPDIA 6.9% · worse 7.6%More adults with heart diseaseIA 6.6% · worse 3.8%More adults who have had a strokeIA 3.3% · worse

Care nearby

Greater Regional Medical CenterCreston · 1.3 mi · ER · rural critical access

Infinity Health - Mount Ayr OfficeMount Ayr · 24.8 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careNo shortage

DentalNo shortage

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Creston · CMS · HRSAHealth in Creston →

Natural hazards in Creston

Low

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 30% of U.S. communities.

🥶 Cold waves🌊 Inland flooding🌡️ Heat waves

10Does Creston flood?paid flood claims since 1996 6Disasters that paid out herefederal disasters sent FEMA money to Creston

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in Creston →

Climate in Creston

Full climate →

Creston has cold winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 26 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

34° / 16°Winter

61° / 38°Spring

83° / 61°Summer

63° / 40°Fall

How much snow does Creston get?About 26 inches a winter.Rain & snow →When is the first frost?Around Oct 11, with the last in spring around Apr 28.Frost dates →Is it warmer than it used to be?+0.6° vs. the 20th century.Then & now →

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Climate in Creston →

Schools in Creston

All Creston schools →

B⁻

School Grade B-

The public schools Creston’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 54% of Iowa’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.

See how Creston’s schools compare in IA →

DistrictCreston Comm School DistrictSchools5

Creston Elementary School C-Elementary · Grades 1–5 · 416 students Creston Early Childhood CenterElementary · Grades PK–K · 142 students St. Malachy SchoolElementary · Grades PK–8 · 183 students Creston Middle School B-Middle · Grades 6–8 · 259 students Creston High School BHigh · Grades 9–12 · 486 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within IA. Ratings are from neighbors.