St. Lucas vs West Union
St. Lucas, Iowa versus West Union, Iowa: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
St. Lucas and West Union score about the same overall (50 vs 49 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | St. Lucas | West Union |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $61k | $50k |
| Cost of Living | $43k | $43k |
| Home Value | $90k | $124k |
| Monthly Rent | — | $833 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $58 | $698 |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.49% | 1.56% |
| Income Tax | 6.00% | 6.00% |
| Sales Tax | 6.94% | 6.94% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 10.50% | 12.16% |
| Unemployment | 0.0% | 1.9% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 18°F | 19°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 73°F | 73°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 38.8 in | 39.5 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 41.1 in | 41.1 in |
| Sunny Days | 233 days | 233 days |
| Summer Humidity | 64°F | 64°F |
| Comfortable Days | 85 days | 87 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 80.9 | 73.1 |
| Air Quality | 50 AQI | 49 AQI |
| School Quality | 59.9 | 64.2 |
| Violent Crime | 472/100k | 0/100k |
| Property Crime | 305/100k | 0/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 146 | 2,468 |
| Median Age | 38.0 | 40.6 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.00 | 0.06 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.92 | 0.97 |
| Political Leaning | R+23 | R+23 |
| White (%) | 100.0% | 92.0% |
| Black (%) | 0.0% | 0.3% |
| Hispanic (%) | 0.0% | 6.6% |
| Asian (%) | 0.0% | 0.3% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 0.0% | 0.9% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Walkability | 5.3/20 | 6.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 141 mi | 151 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 70.7% | 78.1% |
| Amenities Nearby | 273.97 | 48.62 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | 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 St. Lucas or West Union more affordable?
- West Union has the lower cost of living: its index is $43k, compared with St. Lucas's $43k and West Union's $43k.
- Is St. Lucas or West Union safer?
- West Union has the lower violent crime rate. St. Lucas reports 472/100k and West Union reports 0/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in St. Lucas or West Union?
- The median home value is $90k in St. Lucas and $124k in West Union, so homes are more affordable in St. Lucas.