Hancock, IA

Hancock is a small town located in eastern Iowa. The population was 2,898 as of the 2010 census. Hancock is located in Hancock County and has a total area of 1.5 square miles. The town is situated on the east bank of the Mississippi River and is bordered by Clinton to the north, Keokuk to the east, and Fort Madison to the south.

The first settlers arrived in Hancock around 1833. The town was founded by Colonel James Fenton who named it after his home town of Hancock, Massachusetts. Fenton opened a store and post office in Hancock and soon attracted other settlers who began farming and trading goods with one another. In 1845, the first bridge over the Mississippi River was built at Hancock which greatly facilitated trade between residents of Iowa and Missouri.

Today, real estate in Hancock is primarily used for residential purposes due to its close proximity to major cities such as Des Moines, Iowa; Keokuk, Iowa; Clinton, Iowa; and Fort Madison, Iowa. There are also a number of businesses located in Hancock including a hospital, several churches, an ice cream shop, a bakery/café, an automotive dealership/repair shop, two banks (one state-owned), two gas stations/convenience stores (one chain), two restaurants (one chain), two hotels (one chain), one barbershop/beauty salon (chain), one funeral home (chain), one hardware store (chain), one nursery/garden center (chain), one pharmacy(chain)and several other small businesses.

Real estate prices in Hancock range from $100K to $1 million+. The average price for homes sold in 2010 was $158K according to data from the Hancock County Assessor's Office while commercial properties averaged $135K per building sold that year. Approximately 60% of all homes sold in Hancock are single family dwellings while 40% are multi-family units such as apartments or condos. Approximately 50% of all commercial properties are leased while 50% are owned outright by their respective owners