Mason City, IA vs Austin, MN

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

MetricMason City, IAAustin, MN
Population27,05026,358
Median Household Income$64,804$68,057
Median Rent$882/mo$953/mo
Median Home Value$142,000$163,900
Cost of Living (US = 100)——
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income34.1%43%
Poverty Rate12%12.5%
Unemployment Rate3.4%3.7%
Violent Crime Rate /100k354187
Property Crime Rate /100k2,5801,675
Median AQI19—
Good AQI Days /yr——
Summer Highs80°F79°F
Winter Lows11°F9°F
Snowfall44 in/yr43 in/yr
Avg Commute13.5 min18 min
Hospitals1—
Avg Hospital Rating2.0 / 5—
Students per Teacher14.415.1
College Degree Rate20.8%23.6%
Foreign-Born %3.3%17.5%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-1.8%+1.9%

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