Barnum vs Manson
Barnum, Iowa versus Manson, Iowa: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Barnum and Manson score about the same overall (48 vs 51 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Barnum | Manson |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $79k | $69k |
| Cost of Living | $41k | $42k |
| Home Value | $133k | $113k |
| Monthly Rent | — | $654 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $102 | $590 |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.19% | 1.53% |
| Income Tax | 6.00% | 6.00% |
| Sales Tax | 6.94% | 6.94% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 10.27% | 10.77% |
| Unemployment | 3.6% | 4.7% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 17°F | 17°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 73°F | 73°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 35.0 in | 33.8 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 39.0 in | 32.1 in |
| Sunny Days | 224 days | 224 days |
| Summer Humidity | 63°F | 63°F |
| Comfortable Days | 89 days | 89 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 60.2 | 78.7 |
| Air Quality | 51 AQI | 51 AQI |
| School Quality | 45.6 | 45.6 |
| Violent Crime | 1734/100k | 121/100k |
| Property Crime | 2261/100k | 191/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 304 | 1,718 |
| Median Age | 27.1 | 40.6 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.06 | 0.05 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.87 | 0.87 |
| Political Leaning | R+25 | R+43 |
| White (%) | 96.7% | 97.5% |
| Black (%) | 0.0% | 0.6% |
| Hispanic (%) | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Asian (%) | 0.0% | 0.6% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.3% | 1.2% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | — | 21 min |
| Walkability | 10.2/20 | 6.5/20 |
| Airport Distance | 114 mi | 110 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 97.2% | 89.9% |
| Amenities Nearby | 65.79 | 69.85 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Good |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Barnum or Manson more affordable?
- Barnum has the lower cost of living: its index is $41k, compared with Barnum's $41k and Manson's $42k.
- Is Barnum or Manson safer?
- Manson has the lower violent crime rate. Barnum reports 1734/100k and Manson reports 121/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Barnum or Manson?
- The median home value is $133k in Barnum and $113k in Manson, so homes are more affordable in Manson.