Albert Lea, MN vs Mason City, IA

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricAlbert Lea, MNMason City, IA
Population18,33027,050
Median Household Income$64,603$64,804
Median Rent$857/mo$882/mo
Median Home Value$157,500$142,000
Cost of Living (US = 100)——
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income45.7%34.1%
Poverty Rate12.8%12%
Unemployment Rate3.9% (county)3.4%
Violent Crime Rate /100k122354
Property Crime Rate /100k1,9642,580
Median AQI—19
Good AQI Days /yr——
Summer Highs80°F80°F
Winter Lows10°F11°F
Snowfall40 in/yr44 in/yr
Avg Commute17.8 min13.5 min
Hospitals11
Avg Hospital Rating5.0 / 52.0 / 5
Students per Teacher1514.4
College Degree Rate17.4%20.8%
Foreign-Born %5.5%3.3%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-1.5%-1.8%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.