Waterloo, IA vs Marion, IA

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

MetricWaterloo, IAMarion, IA
Population67,00841,896
Median Household Income$57,480$86,743
Median Rent$923/mo$961/mo
Median Home Value$152,600$241,700
Cost of Living (US = 100)8789
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income43%50.9%
Poverty Rate16.6%8.1%
Unemployment Rate5%3.4%
Violent Crime Rate /100k472126
Property Crime Rate /100k2,566603
Median AQI4944
Good AQI Days /yr195224
Summer Highs83°F84°F
Winter Lows14°F16°F
Snowfall39 in/yr34 in/yr
Avg Commute15.9 min19.2 min
Hospitals2—
Avg Hospital Rating3.5 / 5—
Students per Teacher14.914.7
College Degree Rate21.8%38.1%
Foreign-Born %10.1%3.4%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-0.6%+2.8%

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