Is Lake City, IA a Good Place to Live?
Lake City is a small town of 1,745 in Iowa, with a median household income of $59,704 and a 2.0% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 87 (US average = 100), which is 13% below the national average.
Strengths: Lake City stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B+), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Lake City is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Lake City 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: 87.3Lake City's overall cost of living index is 87.3, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Lake City costs roughly 13% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Lake City, IA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $93,600 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $719 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 75.4% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $59,704 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeLake City's violent crime rate is 60.5 per 100,000 residents — 84% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Lake City is served primarily by South Central Calhoun Comm School District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 11.7:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Lake City, IA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | South Central Calhoun Comm School District | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 11.7:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 19.3% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 95.1% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Lake City sees average highs of 26.5°F in January and 82.9°F in July, with 33.8 inches of annual precipitation and 32.1 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Lake City, IA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 26.5°F |
| Average High — July | 82.9°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 33.8" |
| Annual Snowfall | 32.1" |
Demographics
| Metric | Lake City, IA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,745 | — |
| Median Age | 48.8 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.0% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 15.5 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 92.2% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.1% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2.5% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 18.5% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 27.2% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Lake City
Lake City, IA is covered by 1 ZIP code: