Howard County GIS Maps
Howard County, Iowa, has 9,469 residents across 13,201 parcels and covers 473.3 square miles. The population declined 1% between the 2010 and 2020 census. More residents left than arrived over that decade. The FIPS code for Howard County is 19089.
Cresco is the county's largest population center. Howard County also includes 6 zip codes, 4 public school districts and 28 municipalities. Those boundaries help explain why population, schools, and housing can look different from one part of the county to another. The map below shows how those county lines, zip codes, and school districts fit together, and the sections that follow use that same geography to show parcel data, population, demographics, school enrollment and housing patterns in more detail.
Maps, GIS layers, Parcels and sample data. Paid packages add full layers, analytics and database files.
Howard County Trends
- Population
- 9,469▾
- Median Home Value
- $133,900▴
- K-12 Enrollment
- 2,961▴
County analytics dashboards with historical trends & projections included in package downloads.
Free starter access previews county maps, lightweight GIS, and sample data. Paid packages unlock full GIS layers, analytics, and database files.
Howard County Maps
The maps below show a few of the county map styles included in our downloads. County packages include map exports in JPEG, PNG, SVG, PDF and GeoTIFF formats plus more than 20 GIS layers for mapping, research and analysis. Available layers include zip codes, area codes, subdivisions, school districts, political boundaries, roads, water features, points of interest and more.
County packages also include historical county demographics, business intelligence, analytical dashboards, AI-ready prompts, markdown files and related reference data. Everything is organized to save hours of manual work collecting current data, cleaning it and joining it together. That makes it easier to move faster on analytics, due diligence, business planning and location research. Paid packages are built for commercial use, but some package contents include source-specific attribution or notice guidance. Review Licensing & Data Source Notices.
Howard County Parcels
Howard County has 13,201 mapped parcels covering 287,271 acres. Agricultural land accounts for 56.6% of parcels. Residential follows at 27.5% and agricultural dwellings at 10.2%. The records carry 5,194 distinct owner names. Owner names are on nearly every parcel. Site addresses reach 51.8%. Browse the interactive Howard County Parcel viewer here.
Howard County Parcel Data Coverage
| Field | Parcels | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Parcel ID | 13,201 | 100% |
| Owner name | 13,200 | 99.9% |
| Owner mailing address | 0 | 0% |
| Site address | 6,842 | 51.8% |
| Land use code | 0 | 0% |
| Land use description | 13,201 | 100% |
| Assessed value | 0 | 0% |
| Land value | 0 | 0% |
| Improvement value | 0 | 0% |
| Acreage | 0 | 0% |
| Parcel boundary | 13,201 | 100% |
| Download all Howard County parcels. | ||
Field coverage measured across all Howard County parcel records.
Howard County Population
Howard County had 9,469 residents in 2020. That was 1% lower than in 2010. Howard County had 463 fewer people in 2020 than it did in 2000, which points to a long-term population decline. The county is fairly spread out, with about 20 people per square mile. Some of the county's most populated postal areas include Cresco, Riceville and Elma.
Population Trend in Howard County IA
Howard County Population per 2000, 2010 and 2020 census counts with a baseline 2030 projection.
Howard County Zip Codes
Howard County has 6 zip codes. Some of the county's most populated zip codes include Cresco (52136), Riceville (50466) and Elma (50628). Cresco is the largest zip by population, with about 6,009 residents or 63% of the county total. Together, the three largest zips account for about 97% of all county residents based on 2020 population estimates.
Most Populated Zip Codes in Howard County IA
| ZIP | Area | Population | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 52136 | Cresco | 6,009 | ▴ 0.7% |
| 50466 | Riceville | 1,845 | ▴ 0.9% |
| 50628 | Elma | 1,296 | ▾ -5.7% |
| 52155 | Lime Springs | 1,244 | ▾ -6% |
| 52163 | Protivin | 273 | ▾ -1.1% |
| Download all zip code data | |||
Howard County Zip Code populations and trends per most recent census data.
Howard County Demographics
Howard County has a median age of 39.3, which makes the county a little older than Iowa overall. About 25.6% of residents are under 18, while 20.4% are 65 or older. That gives the county a fairly even mix of younger families and older adults. The largest age group is 25 to 44 at about 27.3% of the population, which points to a solid working-age base. About 18.7% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, above the statewide figure of 30.9%. The county is mostly White by population, though Hispanic, Asian, Black and multiracial residents are also part of the local mix.
Key Demographics for Howard County IA
Median Age
39.3
Under 18
25.6%
Age 65+
20.4%
Bachelor's+
18.7%
Howard County School Districts
Howard County is served by 4 public school districts with 2,961 students enrolled in 2024. The largest districts on the county map are New Hampton Community, Howard-Winneshiek Community and Riceville Community. Those three districts account for about 87% of public school enrollment in the map area. Total enrollment has stayed fairly steady in recent years, based on district totals from 2017 to 2024.
Largest School Districts by Enrollment in Howard County IA
| District | Enrollment | Share | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Hampton Community School District | 1,126 | 38% | ▴ 5.1% |
| Howard-Winneshiek Community School District | 1,021 | 34.5% | ▾ -1.2% |
| Riceville Community School District | 431 | 14.6% | — 0% |
| Turkey Valley Community School District | 383 | 12.9% | ▾ -0.5% |
| Download all school district data | |||
Howard County school district enrollment and trends per most recent NCES reporting data.
Howard County Housing & Real Estate
Howard County has a median home value of $133,900 and a median gross rent of $699. About 77% of occupied homes in the county are owner-occupied, so the local housing market leans heavily toward ownership. Home values run below the Iowa median, while rents come in below the state average. In March 2026, the median listing price was $249,900 and homes spent about 146 days on the market.
Howard County Housing Mix
Howard County housing mix: owner, renter and vacant units.
Howard County Housing Trends
Howard County median home value and rent trend (last 5 years).
Businesses in Howard County, IA
Howard County has 471 business listings across 213 categories. The largest categories in Howard County business listings are Churches & Religious Organizations (13, 2.8%), Parks & Recreation (13, 2.8%), and Insurance Agencies (11, 2.3%). The full Howard County business listings dataset includes names, categories, addresses and contact details where available. Howard County packages also include U.S. Census County Business Patterns data with establishment counts, employment and payroll by industry sector.
Top Business Categories in Howard County, IA
| Category | Businesses | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Churches & Religious Organizations | 13 | 2.8% |
| Parks & Recreation | 13 | 2.8% |
| Insurance Agencies | 11 | 2.3% |
| Auto Repair | 10 | 2.1% |
| Bars & Nightlife | 8 | 1.7% |
| Gyms & Fitness | 7 | 1.5% |
| Elementary School | 7 | 1.5% |
| Bar And Grill Restaurant | 7 | 1.5% |
| Farm | 7 | 1.5% |
| Catholic Church | 6 | 1.3% |
Howard County Business Listings
| Business | Category | City |
|---|---|---|
| Cresco Shopper | Advertising Agency | Cresco |
| Farmers Feed and Grain Co. Inc. | Agricultural Cooperatives | Riceville |
| E & L Equipment | Agricultural Service | Riceville |
| Acme Greenhouse | Agriculture | Riceville |
| Tin Ceiling Antiques | Antique Store | Cresco |
| Northeast Iowa Appliance | Appliance Store | Cresco |
| American Woodcrafters Supply Company | Arts And Crafts | Riceville |
| LibertyX Bitcoin ATM | ATMs | Lime Springs |
| Nate's Outdoor Recreation | Attractions And Activities | Riceville |
| Burke Auction Service | Auction House | Cresco |
| Download Howard County business listings | ||
Howard County business listings sourced from Overture Maps. Includes locations with a high level of confidence.
Howard County Basemaps
Howard County map and data packages include a set of useful basemaps to help you get started quickly. These include a custom light grey canvas, USGS topo, imagery and other reference layers that make it easier to build clear, meaningful county maps using the included GIS layers, your own data or both. Pre-rendered map tiles for the light grey basemap are included so you can use them offline or host them on your own CDN.
Get the Full Howard County Data Package
This page shows a preview of what's included in the Howard County data package. The full package gives you a ready-to-use county data system with GIS layers, historical data, maps, database files and planning tools that save hours of manual data gathering, cleanup and joins. Everything is organized to help you skip data wrangling and start analysis faster.
- 20+ GIS layers for parcels, zip codes, school districts, roads, water, boundaries and more
- Historical county demographics, housing, income and trend data
- ZIP code population files and school district enrollment history
- Database files, markdowns, AI-ready prompts and documentation
- Map exports in PNG, JPEG, PDF, SVG and GeoTIFF formats
- Offline-ready data explorer, map and analytics tools
Paid packages support commercial use, client work, and derived outputs. Some package contents may include source-specific attribution or provider notices. See Licensing & Data Source Notices.
One-time · instant download · 30-day refund guarantee · See full package details
Preview a Live Package Demo
See exactly what is included in a county data package. Inspect how files are organized, the interactive data explorer and how maps and analytics are laid out. The demo loads a real sample package from Iowa — explore the full structure before you buy.
No email or download required. Opens in a preview window on this page.
Nearby Counties
Browse county data pages for the counties that border Howard County. These nearby pages include the same mix of county maps, demographic summaries, school district context, housing trends and package links.