Demographics

Chamber-Logo-(Brown)Mason City is located halfway between Minneapolis, MN and Des Moines, IA in North Central Iowa. It is conveniently situated on the Interstate 35 corridor and the four-lane Avenue of the Saints, which connects I-35 to I-380.

Population: 27,823

Average Winter Temps:
High: 18.2 degrees   Low: 8.1   Average: 16.7

Average Summer Temps
High: 70.7 degrees   Low: 59.0   Average: 70.2

Annual Rainfall: 32.74”   Annual Snowfall: 38”

Type of Government:
Administrator, Council, Mayor

Local Government Services:
Mason City Police Department
Mason City Fire & Ambulance Service
Mason City Sanitation Department

Cost of Living

How does Mason City stack up when it comes to cost of living? The Chamber participates in research to assist the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) in producing the quarterly Cost of Living Index. Raw data from metropolitan and micropolitan areas across the United States is analyzed to compare the cost of living in various geographic locations.

In the most recent survey (August 2022), Mason City has an index of 88.5. By comparison, Manhattan in New York City—the most expensive place to live—has an index of 237.7.  The least expensive locale in the study is Kalamazoo, MI with an index of 75.6.

Here’s an example of how to use this information. Assume that City A has a composite index of 98.3 and City B has a composite index of 128.5. If you live in City A and are contemplating a job offer in City B, you can calculate how much of an increase in your after-tax income is needed to maintain your present lifestyle. In this case, 30.72%, or about a 31% increase in after-tax salary to maintain the same living standard.

The table below illustrates the most recent data for area Micro-Urban communities. (100.0 represent the mean; the lower the percentage, the lower the cost-of-living.) Mason City compares very favorably to our peer Iowa communities.

City & Composite ScoreGroceriesHousingUtilitiesTransportationHealthcareMisc. Goods & Services
Mason City - 88.5 94.4 712.0 109.7 94.3 101.2 91.5
Ames - 96.4 111.6 83.2 93.2 99.6 107.1 100.1
Burlington - 86.8 97.7 56.6 114.1 94.8 96.7 99.1
Cedar Rapids - 88.0 97.0 71.8 86.3 99.4 100.3 95.5

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