Mason City, IA vs Marshalltown, IA

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

MetricMason City, IAMarshalltown, IA
Population27,05027,626
Median Household Income$64,804$69,068
Median Rent$882/mo$891/mo
Median Home Value$142,000$127,700
Cost of Living (US = 100)——
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income34.1%32.4%
Poverty Rate12%14.3%
Unemployment Rate3.4%7.3%
Violent Crime Rate /100k354283
Property Crime Rate /100k2,5801,302
Median AQI19—
Good AQI Days /yr——
Summer Highs80°F82°F
Winter Lows11°F13°F
Snowfall44 in/yr25 in/yr
Avg Commute13.5 min17.2 min
Hospitals11
Avg Hospital Rating2.0 / 53.0 / 5
Students per Teacher14.414.2
College Degree Rate20.8%20.9%
Foreign-Born %3.3%20.1%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-1.8%-0.2%

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