Median Income
$65,313
household / year
Median Home Value
$151,600
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$650
gross / month
Cost of Living
89
national avg = 100

Is Bernard, IA a Good Place to Live?

Bernard is a small town of 124 in Iowa, with a median household income of $65,313 . Its cost of living index is 89 (US average = 100), which is 11% below the national average.

Strengths: Bernard stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, short average commutes.

Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Bernard is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Bernard city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.

Cost of Living

Index: 89.1

Bernard's overall cost of living index is 89.1, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Bernard costs roughly 11% less than the average American city.

Metric Bernard, IA National Avg
Median Home Value $151,600 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $650 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 86.4% 65.9%
Median Household Income $65,313 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Safer than Average

Bernard's violent crime rate is 283.6 per 100,000 residents — 25% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
283.6 /100k
Property Crime
1055.4 /100k

Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.

Schools & Education

Metric Bernard, IA National Avg
School District N/A —
Elementary Schools N/A —
Middle Schools N/A —
High Schools N/A —
Student/Teacher Ratio N/A 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 19.4% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 99.0% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Bernard sees average highs of 26.5°F in January and 81.5°F in July, with 38.9 inches of annual precipitation and 42.5 inches of snow per year.

MetricBernard, IA
Average High — January26.5°F
Average High — July81.5°F
Annual Precipitation38.9"
Annual Snowfall42.5"

Demographics

MetricBernard, IANational Avg
Population124—
Median Age29.838.9
Unemployment Rate0.0%3.7%
Avg Commute Time24.8 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)95.2%59.3%
Black or African American0.0%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino0.0%18.9%
Asian0.0%6.3%
Under 1812.9%22.2%
65 and over11.3%16.8%

Nearby Cities

ZIP Codes in Bernard

Bernard, IA is covered by 1 ZIP code:

Bernard vs Other Cities

Frequently Asked Questions

Bernard's cost of living index is 89, where 100 is the national average. That makes Bernard roughly 11% less expensive than a typical US city — a meaningful affordability advantage. The median home price is $151,600 and median rent is $650/month.
Bernard's violent crime rate is 283.6 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 1055.4 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
School district information is sourced from NCES Common Core of Data.
Bernard, IA has a population of 124, a median household income of $65,313, and an unemployment rate of 0.0%. It offers below-average costs of living, which stretches take-home pay further than in most American cities. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Bernard averages 26.5°F in January and 81.5°F in July. Annual rainfall is 38.9 inches with about 42.5 inches of snow per year. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Bernard, IA is covered by 1 ZIP code: 52032.
The population of Bernard, Iowa is 124 with a median age of 29.8. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Bernard: cost of living index 89 (100 = US average), median home $151,600, median household income $65,313, crime index 65 (100 = US average, lower is safer). Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Bernard side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.