52136 ZIP Code — Cresco, IA

Howard County, Iowa

ZIP code 52136 is located in Cresco, Iowa, within Howard County. It covers approximately 210.42 square miles and serves a population of 5,917 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 563.

About ZIP code 52136

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $148,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 76%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $62,003. 33% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is production, transportation, and material moving, with manufacturing as the leading industry. The average commute of 18 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 20% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Overall, ZIP code 52136 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

5,917

population

210.42

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

52136 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 52136

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 52136. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Cresco	Acceptable
Cresco	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

52165 Ridgeway (8.3 mi) 52155 Lime Springs (9.6 mi) 50628 Elma (14.1 mi) 52132 Calmar (14.2 mi) 55939 Harmony (16 mi) 52154 Lawler (16.2 mi) 52101 Decorah (17.2 mi) 52134 Chester (17.4 mi) 52144 Fort Atkinson (17.5 mi) 55922 Canton (19.2 mi) 52171 Waucoma (19.3 mi) 55965 Preston (19.4 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	5,917
Population density	28 / sq mi
State FIPS	19
County FIPS	089

Geography
Land area	210.42 sq mi
Water area	0.09 sq mi
Latitude	43.3568
Longitude	-92.1211
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	563

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	42.8%	43.3%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	37.5%	37.4%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	17.7%	17.1%	21.5%
Over $200k	2.1%	2.2%	5.0%

Demographics & statistics

5,917

Population

People per sq mi

42.4

Median age

$62,003

Median household income

$33,420

Per capita income

$148,500

Median home value

$803

Median monthly rent

75.8%

Home ownership

8.5%

Poverty rate

1.2%

Unemployment

2,119

Housing units

20.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

189

Under 5

177

212

5–9

200

179

10–14

168

130

15–19

123

165

20–24

156

336

25–34

317

337

35–44

318

308

45–54

290

305

55–59

287

259

60–64

244

355

65–74

335

179

75–84

169

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,332	22.5%
18 and over	4,585	77.5%
65 and over	1,217	20.6%
Median age	42.4 years

Race & ethnicity

White 96%

Two or more races 2.3%

Hispanic or Latino 1.1%

Black or African American 0.3%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%

Asian 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	5,741	96%
Two or more races	140	2.3%
Hispanic or Latino	64	1.1%
Black or African American	16	0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	12	0.2%
Asian	8	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	42.8%	43.3%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	37.5%	37.4%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	17.7%	17.1%	21.5%
Over $200k	2.1%	2.2%	5.0%

Under $10k 1.6%

$10k–$15k 6.0%

$15k–$25k 5.8%

$25k–$35k 9.2%

$35k–$50k 12.0%

$50k–$75k 22.2%

$75k–$100k 16.4%

$100k–$150k 20.7%

$150k–$200k 2.3%

$200k+ 3.9%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	1.6%
$10k–$15k	6.0%
$15k–$25k	5.8%
$25k–$35k	9.2%
$35k–$50k	12.0%
$50k–$75k	22.2%
$75k–$100k	16.4%
$100k–$150k	20.7%
$150k–$200k	2.3%
$200k+	3.9%
Median income	$62,003

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 5.4%

$50k–$100k 27.0%

$100k–$150k 18.0%

$150k–$200k 16.6%

$200k–$300k 16.1%

$300k–$500k 13.2%

$500k–$1M 3.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$148,500
Median rent / month	$803
Owner occupied	75.8%
Renter occupied	24.2%
Vacant	14.4%
Single-family detached	90.0%
Large apartment buildings	0.7%
Mobile homes	0.9%
Median rooms	6.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.53

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	1.3%
2010–2019	3.0%
2000–2009	7.2%
1990–1999	4.4%
1980–1989	8.2%
1970–1979	15.7%
1960–1969	9.5%
1950–1959	4.4%
1940–1949	10.9%
1939 or earlier	35.6%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.0%
1 bedroom	5.6%
2 bedrooms	23.7%
3 bedrooms	46.9%
4 bedrooms	17.7%
5+ bedrooms	5.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	6.6%
1 vehicle	19.7%
2 vehicles	40.3%
3 or more	33.5%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	56.2%
Electricity	11.4%
Propane / LP gas	24.2%
Fuel oil	0.7%
Wood	6.5%
Solar	0.1%
No fuel used	0.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,381	60.3%
Cohabiting couple	148	6.5%
Male householder, no spouse	461	20.1%
Female householder, no spouse	299	13.1%
Households with children under 18	623	27.2%
Households with seniors (65+)	726	31.7%
Average household size	2.50

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	24.4%	19.9%
Married	57.6%	61.7%
Separated	1.3%	0.0%
Widowed	2.9%	7.0%
Divorced	13.8%	11.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.4%

Some HS, no diploma 3.9%

HS graduate 41.8%

Some college, no degree 18.6%

Associate's degree 12.3%

Bachelor's degree 15.6%

Graduate / professional 4.5%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	92.7%
Bachelor's or higher	20.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	88	7.8%
Kindergarten	113	10.0%
Elementary school	559	49.5%
High school	231	20.4%
College / grad school	139	12.3%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 23.1%

Education & healthcare 21.6%

Retail trade 16.0%

Agriculture & mining 7.9%

Construction 6.7%

Arts, food & hospitality 4.7%

Professional & management 4.1%

Other services 3.8%

Wholesale trade 3.5%

Finance & real estate 3.4%

Public administration 3.0%

Transportation & utilities 2.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	23.7%
Service	11.0%
Sales & office	22.5%
Natural resources & construction	16.5%
Production & transportation	26.3%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	77.9%
Government	12.8%
Self-employed	8.3%
Unpaid family workers	1.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	77.4%
Carpool	6.6%
Public transit	0.6%
Walk	3.3%
Work from home	9.3%
Other means	2.8%
Avg commute (minutes)	18.3

Poverty

All people 8.5%

Under 18 years 10.2%

18 and over 8.0%

Married-couple families 0.8%

Female-led households 40.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	33.3%
Retirement income	19.2%
Supplemental Security	5.9%
Cash public assistance	2.8%
Food stamps / SNAP	6.1%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	38.5%
High blood pressure	33.6%
High cholesterol	33.8%
Diabetes	10.0%
Heart disease	7.1%
Stroke	3.2%
Asthma	9.1%
Arthritis	26.4%
Kidney disease	3.0%
Pulmonary disease	7.0%
Cancer	7.7%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	17.2%
Binge drinking	21.1%
No physical activity	24.5%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	30.6%
Depression	16.9%
Fair or poor health	12.9%
Poor mental health	13.2%
Poor physical health	9.8%
No health insurance	9.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	75.1%
Visited dentist	65.6%
Cholesterol screening	88.7%
Teeth loss	13.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	414	9.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	11.3%
Under 18	0.5%
18–64 years	10.8%
65 and over	26.2%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	70.5%
Public insurance	37.4%
No insurance	6.2%
Uninsured under 19	10.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	5,551	93.8%
Spanish	35	0.6%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	35	0.6%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	5,895	99.6%
Born in same state	5,895	99.6%
Born in different state	4,386	74.1%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	22	0.4%
Not a US citizen	4	18.2%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	982	16.6%
Italian	601	10.2%
Arab	282	4.8%
French	195	3.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	68	1.1%
Dutch	11	0.2%
German	9	0.2%
Irish	9	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	38.7%
Internet access	90.2%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 52136

What city is ZIP code 52136 in?

ZIP code 52136 is primarily assigned to Cresco, Iowa.

What county is ZIP code 52136 in?

ZIP code 52136 falls within Howard County, Iowa.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 52136?

The median home value in ZIP code 52136 is $148,500.

What is the population of ZIP code 52136?

ZIP code 52136 has an estimated population of 5,917 residents, with a density of 28 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 52136?

The median household income in ZIP code 52136 is $62,003, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 52136 in?

ZIP code 52136 observes the CST timezone.