Cedar Falls vs Mason City
Cedar Falls, Iowa versus Mason City, Iowa: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Cedar Falls and Mason City score about the same overall (55 vs 53 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Cedar Falls | Mason City |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $71k | $61k |
| Cost of Living | $41k | $43k |
| Home Value | $245k | $126k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $841 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.50% | 1.61% |
| Income Tax | 6.00% | 6.00% |
| Sales Tax | 6.94% | 6.94% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 13.46% | 11.61% |
| Unemployment | 3.0% | 3.4% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 19°F | 16°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 74°F | 72°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 36.3 in | 37.7 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 39.1 in | 44.4 in |
| Sunny Days | 233 days | 224 days |
| Summer Humidity | 64°F | 63°F |
| Comfortable Days | 89 days | 90 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 28.1 | 73.1 |
| Air Quality | 52 AQI | 23 AQI |
| School Quality | 67.7 | 79.9 |
| Violent Crime | 0/100k | 1210/100k |
| Property Crime | 0/100k | 2128/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 40,686 | 27,271 |
| Median Age | 28.0 | 43.1 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.15 | 0.17 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.90 | 0.98 |
| Political Leaning | Even | Even |
| White (%) | 90.2% | 87.4% |
| Black (%) | 1.2% | 2.2% |
| Hispanic (%) | 2.8% | 6.6% |
| Asian (%) | 3.8% | 0.8% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 2.0% | 3.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 15 min | 15 min |
| Walkability | 9.5/20 | 13.6/20 |
| Airport Distance | 168 mi | 120 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 92.2% | 86.4% |
| Amenities Nearby | 45.22 | 18.70 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | 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 Cedar Falls or Mason City more affordable?
- Cedar Falls has the lower cost of living: its index is $41k, compared with Cedar Falls's $41k and Mason City's $43k. Median rent is $1k in Cedar Falls versus $841 in Mason City.
- Is Cedar Falls or Mason City safer?
- Cedar Falls has the lower violent crime rate. Cedar Falls reports 0/100k and Mason City reports 1210/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Cedar Falls or Mason City?
- The median home value is $245k in Cedar Falls and $126k in Mason City, so homes are more affordable in Mason City.