Moving to
Mason City.

$882/mo median rent

Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $882 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $142,000. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.

3.4% unemployment

Unemployment here is 3.4%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.

354 violent crimes per 100k

Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.

14 min average commute

Commutes run short here, averaging 13.5 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 9 in 10 workers drive to work.

1 hospital

There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 2.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.

21% bachelor's degree or higher

College degree attainment runs below average at 21%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.

9 public schools inside the boundary

There are 9 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. 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.