Marion, IA vs Waterloo, IA

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

MetricMarion, IAWaterloo, IA
Population41,89667,008
Median Household Income$86,743$57,480
Median Rent$961/mo$923/mo
Median Home Value$241,700$152,600
Cost of Living (US = 100)8987
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income50.9%43%
Poverty Rate8.1%16.6%
Unemployment Rate3.4%5%
Violent Crime Rate /100k126472
Property Crime Rate /100k6032,566
Median AQI4449
Good AQI Days /yr224195
Summer Highs84°F83°F
Winter Lows16°F14°F
Snowfall34 in/yr39 in/yr
Avg Commute19.2 min15.9 min
Hospitals—2
Avg Hospital Rating—3.5 / 5
Students per Teacher14.714.9
College Degree Rate38.1%21.8%
Foreign-Born %3.4%10.1%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+2.8%-0.6%

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