City · Iowa
Creston, Iowa
Creston, city, in Union County, Iowa. Creston had 7,335 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 2.7% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 7,536 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 7,435 (±36). GEOID 1917265.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
7,335
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 7,536 · ACS 2020-2024: 7,435 ±36
Median household income
$52,633
±$6,839 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$114,500
±$8,542 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$703
±$72 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Creston and what county is it in?
Creston is a city in Union County, Iowa. It covers 5.2 square miles of land, 1,452 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Creston, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 7,335 people lived in Creston on July 1, 2025, down 2.7% since 2020, while Iowa grew 1.5%. The 2020 Census counted 7,536 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 7,435 (±36).
| Measure | Creston | Union County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 7,435 ±36 | 11,993 | −349 |
| Households | 3,358 ±149 | 5,116 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.14 ±0.09 | 2.28 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 3,765 ±115 | 5,785 | no clear change |
Creston's population since 2000
From 7,597 in 2000 to 7,335 in 2025: down 3.4%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Creston as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Creston?
The median resident of Creston is 39.5 years old; 21.3% are under 18 and 19.7% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 92.2%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 3.7%.
| Measure | Creston | Union County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.5 ±1.0 | 40.5 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 21.3% ±1.6 pts | 22.5% | – |
| 65 years and over | 19.7% ±1.4 pts | 20.8% | – |
| Male | 49.4% ±2.1 pts | 49.8% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3.7% ±1.4 pts | 3.8% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 92.2% ±1.6 pts | 91.9% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.9% ±0.8 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.2% ±1.0 pts | 0.9% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.0% ±1.2 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.2 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.8% ±1.3 pts | 1.8% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 3.1% ±1.6 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.9% ±2.6 pts | 7.6% | – |
| With a disability | 16.8% ±3.1 pts | 15.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 7.0% ±3.3 pts | 8.3% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 92.2% ±2.8 pts | 91.5% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 23.9% ±4.6 pts | 23.3% | +8.1 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 6.8% ±2.4 pts | 6.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 84.2% ±5.1 pts | 88.1% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.8% ±0.6 pts | 0.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Creston earn?
Half of Creston's 3,358 households earn less than $52,633 a year (±$6,839), against $57,772 in Union County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $53,773 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 15.8% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Creston | Union County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $52,633 ±$6,839 | $57,772 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $61,447 ±$5,723 | $71,876 | – |
| Per capita income | $28,795 ±$2,460 | $31,697 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 15.8% ±4.2 pts | 12.4% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 19.7% ±8.2 pts | 14.0% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 22.6% ±5.2 pts | 17.4% | – |
| Households with a computer | 92.5% ±2.7 pts | 91.8% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 88.2% ±3.9 pts | 84.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Creston?
Owners occupy 64.4% of Creston's occupied homes and renters 35.6%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $114,500 by its owner (±$8,542). The median renter pays $703 a month including utilities, and 31.3% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Creston | Union County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $114,500 ±$8,542 | $122,000 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $703 ±$72 | $721 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 31.3% ±10.2 pts | 29.1% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,128 ±$139 | $1,250 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 64.4% ±5.1 pts | 72.1% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 35.6% ±5.1 pts | 27.9% | – |
| Housing units | 3,765 ±115 | 5,785 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 4.8% ±3.9 pts | 2.9% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 4.6% ±4.5 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 71.6% ±4.8 pts | 75.4% | – |
| Mobile homes | 3.9% ±2.0 pts | 5.4% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±0.7 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 3.5% ±2.5 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 36.0% ±5.6 pts | 35.5% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 6.5% ±2.8 pts | 5.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Creston building?
Builders took permits for 19 new housing units in Creston in 2025 (5 in single-family houses), 2.6 per 1,000 residents against 4.2 across Iowa.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Creston work and get to work?
81.5% of Creston's workers drive alone and 2.3% work from home. The average trip to work takes 12.3 minutes.
| Measure | Creston | Union County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 56.4% ±4.2 pts | 58.1% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% ±2.6 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 81.5% ±5.3 pts | 80.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 9.9% ±3.9 pts | 9.9% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 6.4% ±2.6 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 2.3% ±1.2 pts | 4.6% | no clear change |
| Mean travel time to work | 12.3 min ±2.0 | 15.8 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Creston?
2 census tracts lie mostly in Creston (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $52,611 (Tract 1904) to $58,821 (Tract 1902).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 1904Union County | 4,271 | $52,611 |
| Tract 1902Union County | 3,484 | $58,821 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Creston) · Census block assignment files
How does Creston compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Creston is the 3,954th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 56th-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Creston ranks 260th of 279 places in Iowa with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 56th | 939 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 221st | 275 |
| Residents per square mile | 56th | 279 |
| Median household income | 260th | 279 |
| Per capita income | 266th | 279 |
| Median home value | 243rd | 279 |
| Median gross rent | 232nd | 266 |
| Poverty rate | 40th | 232 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 144th | 279 |
| Median age | 146th | 279 |
| Owner-occupied share | 237th | 279 |
| Work from home | 220th | 221 |
| Travel time to work | 270th | 279 |
Creston's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Creston with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Creston?
13 of the 57 figures for Creston on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Creston are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Creston.