Crystal Lake, Iowa Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 283, Crystal Lake's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Crystal Lake is a small community located in Iowa, within Hancock County. The total population is 283. It ranks as the 620th most populous out of 1,017 Census-designated places in Iowa.

Age Demographics

The median age in Crystal Lake is 33.9 years. This is 12% lower than the state median of 38.6 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Crystal Lake is $66,875. This is 11% lower than the state median of $75,059. It is also 17% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 12.7%. This is 15% higher than the state poverty rate of 11.1%. The unemployment rate is 0.7%. This is 82% lower than the state rate of 3.6%. The median home value is $100,300. Housing costs are 52% lower than the state median of $208,000. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 1.5x, Crystal Lake is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 85.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 20% higher than the state average of 71.7%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Crystal Lake is White (non-Hispanic), making up 83.8% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 12.7%. The Black or African American population (1.8%) is well below the state average of 3.8%. The Hispanic or Latino population is significantly higher than the state average (12.7% vs 7.3%).

Education

9.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 70% lower than the state rate of 31.4%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 91.1%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Crystal Lake, Iowa is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Iowa state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 1,017 Census-designated places in Iowa. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.