Is Mount Ayr, IA a Good Place to Live?
Mount Ayr is a small town of 1,838 in Iowa, with a median household income of $61,458 and a 1.4% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 88 (US average = 100), which is 12% below the national average.
Strengths: Mount Ayr stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, solid school ratings (B+), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Mount Ayr is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Mount Ayr 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: 88.0Mount Ayr's overall cost of living index is 88.0, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Mount Ayr costs roughly 12% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Mount Ayr, IA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $115,800 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $686 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 69.0% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $61,458 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeMount Ayr's violent crime rate is 61.3 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
Mount Ayr is served primarily by Mount Ayr Comm School District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12.5:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Mount Ayr, IA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Mount Ayr Comm School District | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 12.5:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 23.4% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 93.5% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Mount Ayr sees average highs of 31.9°F in January and 84.6°F in July, with 37.0 inches of annual precipitation and 20.5 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Mount Ayr, IA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 31.9°F |
| Average High — July | 84.6°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 37.0" |
| Annual Snowfall | 20.5" |
Demographics
| Metric | Mount Ayr, IA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,838 | — |
| Median Age | 40.6 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 1.4% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 22.7 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 93.5% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.3% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 5.2% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 24.9% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 21.8% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Mount Ayr
Mount Ayr, IA is covered by 1 ZIP code: