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Is Mason City, IA a Good Place to Live?
Mason City is a small city of 27,271 in Iowa, with a median household income of $60,786 and a 3.4% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 90 (US average = 100), which is 10% below the national average.
Strengths: Mason 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 Mason City is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Mason 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: 90.0Mason City's overall cost of living index is 90.0, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Mason City costs roughly 10% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Mason City, IA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $125,500 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $841 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 67.9% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $60,786 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageMason City's violent crime rate is 224.0 per 100,000 residents — 41% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Mason City is served primarily by Mason City Comm School District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13.9:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Mason City, IA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Mason City Comm School District | — |
| Elementary Schools | 4 | — |
| Middle Schools | 2 | — |
| High Schools | 3 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 13.9:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 20.7% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 92.8% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Mason City sees average highs of 24.0°F in January and 81.9°F in July, with 37.7 inches of annual precipitation and 44.4 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Mason City, IA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 24.0°F |
| Average High — July | 81.9°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 37.7" |
| Annual Snowfall | 44.4" |
Demographics
| Metric | Mason City, IA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 27,271 | — |
| Median Age | 43.1 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.4% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 14.6 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 90.9% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 2.7% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2.6% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.8% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 19.8% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 22.1% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Mason City
Mason City, IA is covered by 1 ZIP code: