What it's like to live in Cedar Falls
Cedar Falls is a small city in Iowa with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, unemployment below the national average, and crime rates well below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Cedar Falls deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, cold, harsh winters, and snowy winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Highly educated workforce
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- High rent burden for renters
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 39" per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Cedar Falls compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Cedar Falls
Based on Cedar Falls's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,406
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $48,120 a year
- 55% of Cedar Falls renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$52,720
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $26,360
- Homes cost 3.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 15% below US
$1,203/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,203 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $263,600. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $263,600 · 55% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 28% below US
3.1% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.1%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 59% below US
135 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1132/100k · Cedar Falls Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 46% below US
14 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 14 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 11% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 83°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 14°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 40% above US
50% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
10 public schools inside the boundary
There are 10 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Effigy Mounds National Monument (75 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Cedar Falls's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are air quality that falls short of national benchmarks and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin. A year of median rent ($1,203/mo) equals 19% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, job seekers, and anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Cedar Falls
All Iowa guides →Moving to Waverly →
14 mi away · pop. 10,494
Rent $1,057/mo · Income $80,284
Compare with Cedar Falls →Moving to Marshalltown →
41 mi away · pop. 27,626
Rent $891/mo · Income $69,068
Compare with Cedar Falls →Not sure Cedar Falls is the one?
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