Mason City, IA vs Waverly, IA

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

MetricMason City, IAWaverly, IA
Population27,05010,494
Median Household Income$64,804$80,284
Median Rent$882/mo$1,057/mo
Median Home Value$142,000$223,300
Cost of Living (US = 100)—87
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income34.1%32.3%
Poverty Rate12%10.9%
Unemployment Rate3.4%3.3% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k354141
Property Crime Rate /100k2,580895
Median AQI1938
Good AQI Days /yr——
Summer Highs80°F83°F
Winter Lows11°F14°F
Snowfall44 in/yr39 in/yr
Avg Commute13.5 min17.2 min
Hospitals11
Avg Hospital Rating2.0 / 55.0 / 5
Students per Teacher14.415.1
College Degree Rate20.8%44.1%
Foreign-Born %3.3%2.7%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-1.8%+1.5%

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