Is University Heights, IA a Good Place to Live?
University Heights is a small town of 1,353 in Iowa, with a median household income of $102,838 and a 1.6% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 92 (US average = 100), which is 8% below the national average.
Strengths: University Heights stands out for an affordable cost of living, a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether University Heights is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All University Heights 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: 91.8University Heights's overall cost of living index is 91.8, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in University Heights costs roughly 8% less than the average American city.
| Metric | University Heights, IA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $379,000 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,455 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 56.7% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $102,838 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
University Heights's violent crime rate is 85.1 per 100,000 residents — 78% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
| Metric | University Heights, 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 | 87.8% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 100.0% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
University Heights sees average highs of 30.9°F in January and 85.8°F in July, with 35.7 inches of annual precipitation and 27.5 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | University Heights, IA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 30.9°F |
| Average High — July | 85.8°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 35.7" |
| Annual Snowfall | 27.5" |
Demographics
| Metric | University Heights, IA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,353 | — |
| Median Age | 27.5 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 1.6% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 17.0 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 88.8% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 2.5% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1.9% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 5.9% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 22.9% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 8.6% | 16.8% |