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Creston, IA
Key Indicators
A quick look at key numbers
Population
7,435
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Age
39.5
years ∙ half population younger than 39.5, half older
Diversity Index
14.8%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Nativity
1.8%
foreign-born population
Geographic Context
Location, size, and surroundings
About
Creston is a city within Union County, Iowa, United States.
Co-ordinates
DEC41.060314° N, 94.364727° W
DMS41° 03′ 37.13″ N, 94° 21′ 53.02″ W
Population Density & area
1,433/sq mi
(553.2/km²)
Demographics & Living
Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition
Population Composition
Key characteristics of the population
Sex Distribution
49.4%
male
Male
49.4%
Female
50.6%
males per 100 females
Creston
97.7
Union County
99.4
Iowa
100.6
Nativity
1.8%
foreign-born population
% Foreign-born
Creston
1.8%
Union County
1.8%
Iowa
5.9%
Age Distribution
How the population is spread across age groups
Median Age
39.5
years ∙ half population younger than 39.5, half older
Dependency ratio
69.4
dependents per 100 working-age adults
Creston
69.4
Union County
76.2
Iowa
69.6
AGE DISTRIBUTION
Distribution of age group
Median age
| Creston | Union County | Iowa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age Group | |||
| Children (Under 18) | 21.3% | 22.5% | 22.9% |
| Working age (18-64) | 59% | 56.7% | 59% |
| Senior (65+) | 19.7% | 20.8% | 18.1% |
| Dependency ratio | |||
| Total dependency ratio | 69.4 | 76.2 | 69.6 |
| Child dependency ratio | 36.1 | 39.6 | 38.8 |
| Old-age dependency ratio | 33.4 | 36.6 | 30.7 |
Racial & Ethnic Composition
Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares
Race & Ethnicity
Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.
Diversity Index
14.8%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Creston
14.8%
Union County
15.3%
Iowa
31.4%
Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.
RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION
Race & Ethnicity
Percentage of Creston population
| Creston | Union County | Iowa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino | 3.7% | 3.8% | 7.3% |
| Mexican | 3.7% | 3.3% | 5% |
| Puerto Rican | 0% | 0% | 0.3% |
| Cuban | 0% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Other Hispanic / Latino | 0% | 0.3% | 1.8% |
| Not Hispanic or Latino | 96.3% | 96.2% | 92.7% |
| One race | 94.3% | 93.8% | 89.2% |
| White | 92.2% | 91.9% | 82.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.9% | 0.8% | 3.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0% | 0% | 0.2% |
| Asian | 1.2% | 0.9% | 2.5% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0.2% |
| Some Other Race | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Two or more races (Multiracial) | 2% | 2.4% | 3.5% |
Household & Families Composition
Household size, type, and family structure
Household structure
49.2%
family
Family
49.2%
Non family
50.8%
% family households
Creston
49.2%
Union County
56.4%
Iowa
61.6%
Average household size
2.14
persons per household
Household & Family COMPOSITION
Households
Percentage of Creston population
| Creston | Union County | Iowa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total households | 3,358 | 5,116 | 1,315,707 |
| Average houshold size | 2.14 | 2.28 | 2.36 |
| Family households | 1,653 | 2,886 | 809,836 |
| Average family size | 3.06 | 3.06 | 2.98 |
| Married couple family | 1,171 | 2,306 | 635,347 |
| Other families | 482 | 580 | 174,489 |
| Male householder | 82 | 113 | 56,457 |
| Female householder | 400 | 467 | 118,032 |
| Non-family households | 1,705 | 2,230 | 505,871 |
| One-person households | 1,514 | 1,939 | 406,436 |
| Male householder | 703 | 924 | 193,582 |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 302 | 378 | 58,028 |
| Female householder | 811 | 1,015 | 212,854 |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 391 | 539 | 111,645 |
| Other living arrangements | 191 | 291 | 99,435 |
Housing Profile
Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens
Total housing units
3,765
housing units
Creston
3,765
Union County
5,785
Iowa
1,437,699
Occupancy status
89.2%
occupied
Occupied
89.2%
Vacant
10.8%
vacancy rate
Creston
10.8%
Union County
11.6%
Iowa
8.5%
Housing Characteristics
How the housing supply is structured and used
Types of Housing unit
72.6%
Single family houses
Median Year Built
1965
Half of houses were built before 1965, and half after.
Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.
Housing Characteristics
Units, rooms & bedrooms
Physical characteristics of housing units
| Creston | Union County | Iowa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rooms per unit | |||
| Median rooms | 5.6 | 5.8 | 5.9 |
| 1–3 rooms | 13% | 10.7% | 11.8% |
| 4–6 rooms | 55.6% | 51.3% | 47.4% |
| 7+ rooms | 31.4% | 37.8% | 40.7% |
| Bedrooms | |||
| No bedroom / studio | 4.5% | 3.2% | 1.7% |
| 1 bedroom | 11.7% | 9.5% | 9.2% |
| 2 bedrooms | 33.7% | 30.8% | 27% |
| 3 bedrooms | 35% | 38.1% | 37.3% |
| 4+ bedrooms | 15.1% | 18.4% | 24.7% |
| At a glance | |||
| Median year built | 1965 | 1966 | 1972 |
| Total housing units | 3,765 | 5,785 | 1,437,699 |
Occupancy Profile
Who is inside and how they use it
Homeownership
64.4%
owners
Renter-occupied
35.6%
Owner-occupied
64.4%
homeownership rate
Creston
64.4%
Union County
72.1%
Iowa
71.7%
Average household size
2.38
Owner-occupied
1.71
Renter-occupied
owner-occupied average size
Creston
2.38
Union County
2.48
Iowa
2.5
Housing Characteristics
Occupied unit characteristics
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
| Creston | Union County | Iowa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total occupied units | 3,358 | 5,116 | 1,315,707 |
| Year moved in | |||
| 2020 or later | 19.2% | 17.4% | 24.3% |
| 2010 to 2019 | 42.5% | 40.6% | 38.7% |
| 2000 to 2009 | 17.9% | 16.6% | 16.4% |
| 1999 or earlier | 20.5% | 25.3% | 20.7% |
| Occupants per room | |||
| 1.00 or fewer | 99.7% | 99% | 98.4% |
| 1.01 to 1.50 | 0.3% | 0.9% | 1.1% |
| 1.51 or more | 0% | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| Vehicles availability | |||
| No vehicles | 6.5% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| 1 vehicle | 39% | 32.2% | 30.5% |
| 2 vehicles | 35.2% | 34.1% | 37.8% |
| 3 or more vehicles | 19.4% | 27.9% | 26.3% |
| House heating fuel used | |||
| Gas | 63.5% | 66.2% | 72.8% |
| Electricity | 35.6% | 31.1% | 24.4% |
| Solar | 0% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Fuel oil, kerosene etc | 0% | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| All other fuels | 0.2% | 1.8% | 1.8% |
| No fuel used | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Selected characteristics | |||
| Lacking complete plumbing | 0.8% | 0.7% | 0.3% |
| Lacking complete kitchen | 0.8% | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| No telephone service available | 0% | 0.4% | 0.8% |
Housing Value
What owner-occupied units are worth
Median home value
$114,500
owner-occupied units
Housing Cost Burden
31%
of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened
Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.
Financial characteristics
Property value and housing costs
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
| Creston | Union County | Iowa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property value | |||
| Median Value | $114,500 | $122,000 | $208,000 |
| Under $100,000 | 39.2% | 35.3% | 17.8% |
| $100,000 - $200,000 | 42.8% | 36.5% | 30% |
| $200,000 - $300,000 | 9.6% | 13.6% | 23.1% |
| $300,000 - $500,000 | 7.4% | 10.2% | 21.3% |
| $500,000 - $1,000,000 | 1% | 3.8% | 6.8% |
| $1,000,000 and more | 0% | 0.5% | 1.1% |
| Owner-occupied households | |||
| With a mortgage | 51.8% | 48.3% | 59.4% |
| Without a mortgage | 48.2% | 51.7% | 40.6% |
| Median monthly owner costs | |||
| With a mortgage | $1,128 | $1,250 | $1,533 |
| Without a mortgage | $604 | $596 | $616 |
| Gross rent | |||
| Median rent | $703 | $721 | $972 |
Education Profile
How educated is the community and how education pays off
Adults with a college degree
23.9%
of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher
Creston
23.9%
Union County
23.3%
Iowa
31.4%
Adults without a high school diploma
7.8%
of adults (25+) without a high school diploma
Creston
7.8%
Union County
8.5%
Iowa
6.7%
School Enrollment
Who is enrolled in school and at what level
School enrollment
1,853
population (age 3+) enrolled in school
College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)
38.1%
of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school
Enrollment & school type
Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split
Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school
| Creston | Union County | Iowa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total enrolled (age 3+) | 1,853 | 3,007 | 784,322 |
| Nursery / preschool | 8.2% | 8.9% | 6.2% |
| K–12 | 63.5% | 68.7% | 68.4% |
| Kindergarten | 0.6% | 2.2% | 5.2% |
| Elementary: Grades 1–4 | 14.9% | 18% | 20.3% |
| Elementary: Grades 5–8 | 24.4% | 22.3% | 21.3% |
| High School: Grades 9–12 | 23.5% | 26.2% | 21.6% |
| College or graduate school | 28.3% | 22.4% | 25.4% |
| College, undergraduate | 26.8% | 19.3% | 20.8% |
| Graduate, professional school | 1.5% | 3.1% | 4.6% |
| College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds | 38.1% | 35.9% | 42.3% |
| School type | |||
| Public school | 89.1% | 87.4% | 84.4% |
| Private school | 10.9% | 12.6% | 15.6% |
Education Attainment by Level & Gender
What is the highest level of education completed among adults
Education attainment
4,896
population 25 years and over
Attainment by gender
Male vs Female
Adults (25+) · Share within each education level
Educational Attainment Overview
Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)
Highest credential completed · adults 25+
| Creston | Union County | Iowa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population (25+) | 4,896 | 8,190 | 2,154,149 |
| Less than 9th grade | 0.9% | 2.8% | 2.7% |
| 9th–12th, no diploma | 6.9% | 5.7% | 4% |
| High school diploma or GED | 35.1% | 34.6% | 30% |
| Some college, no degree | 24.8% | 24% | 19.7% |
| Associate's degree | 8.4% | 9.5% | 12.1% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.9% | 23.3% | 31.4% |
| Bachelor's degree | 17.1% | 17% | 20.9% |
| Graduate or professional | 6.8% | 6.3% | 10.5% |
| High School or higher | 92.2% | 91.5% | 93.3% |
Earnings by education level
percentage as applicable
Median Earnings
$40,856
Median earnings for adults 25+, by level
Poverty Rate
5.9%
for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher
Outcomes by Education Level
Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)
Adults 25+
| Creston | Union County | Iowa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median earnings | |||
| Population 25+, with earnings | $40,856 | $41,677 | $51,106 |
| Less than high school graduate | $— | $39,615 | $35,996 |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | $34,872 | $37,043 | $41,528 |
| Some college or associate's degree | $40,733 | $40,465 | $47,635 |
| Bachelor's degree | $47,125 | $52,431 | $62,744 |
| Graduate or professional degree | $53,980 | $53,421 | $80,022 |
| Poverty rates | |||
| Less than high school graduate | 39.8% | 29.7% | 21.5% |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | 18.8% | 14.5% | 12.4% |
| Some college or associate's degree | 13.7% | 10.8% | 8.1% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 5.9% | 4.2% | 3.8% |
About Neilsberg Research
Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.
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