Mason City, IA vs Cedar Falls, IA

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

MetricMason City, IACedar Falls, IA
Population27,05040,888
Median Household Income$64,804$76,987
Median Rent$882/mo$1,203/mo
Median Home Value$142,000$263,600
Cost of Living (US = 100)—87
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income34.1%55%
Poverty Rate12%15.7%
Unemployment Rate3.4%3.1%
Violent Crime Rate /100k354135
Property Crime Rate /100k2,5801,132
Median AQI1949
Good AQI Days /yr—195
Summer Highs80°F83°F
Winter Lows11°F14°F
Snowfall44 in/yr39 in/yr
Avg Commute13.5 min14 min
Hospitals11
Avg Hospital Rating2.0 / 5—
Students per Teacher14.414.4
College Degree Rate20.8%50.4%
Foreign-Born %3.3%3.4%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-1.8%+1.3%

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