Fort Madison, IA vs Iowa City, IA

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

MetricFort Madison, IAIowa City, IA
Population10,13375,752
Median Household Income$50,705$58,546
Median Rent$826/mo$1,094/mo
Median Home Value$94,200$285,900
Cost of Living (US = 100)—92
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income44.2%59.8%
Poverty Rate15%26.3%
Unemployment Rate4% (county)2.7%
Violent Crime Rate /100k323257
Property Crime Rate /100k1,7881,606
Median AQI—37
Good AQI Days /yr—256
Summer Highs83°F84°F
Winter Lows20°F18°F
Snowfall18 in/yr28 in/yr
Avg Commute23.1 min17.3 min
Hospitals—3
Avg Hospital Rating—3.7 / 5
Students per Teacher1414.3
College Degree Rate18.5%60.5%
Foreign-Born %2.3%12.2%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-3.7%+1.9%

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