Is Mason City, IL a Good Place to Live?
Mason City is a small town of 2,260 in Illinois, with a median household income of $59,250 and a 2.5% 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: 90.5Mason City's overall cost of living index is 90.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Mason City costs roughly 10% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Mason City, IL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $91,800 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $754 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 77.3% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $59,250 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeMason City's violent crime rate is 51.2 per 100,000 residents — 87% 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 Illini Central CUSD 189. The student-to-teacher ratio is 10.2:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Mason City, IL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Illini Central CUSD 189 | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 10.2:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 17.3% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 88.5% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Mason City sees average highs of 33.1°F in January and 85.2°F in July, with 39.3 inches of annual precipitation and 12.9 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Mason City, IL |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 33.1°F |
| Average High — July | 85.2°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 39.3" |
| Annual Snowfall | 12.9" |
Demographics
| Metric | Mason City, IL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,260 | — |
| Median Age | 47.2 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.5% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 24.5 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 95.0% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 1.3% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1.5% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 20.5% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 24.5% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Mason City
Mason City, IL is covered by 1 ZIP code: