Mason City, IA Micro Area

Metro Area

Population: 50,165 (2023 estimate)

Core-Based Statistical Area (CBSA)

Metro area data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Core-Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) are defined by the Office of Management and Budget and group counties with a central urban core plus surrounding communities that are economically tied to it. Metro areas often cross county and state lines, making them the best unit for understanding regional labor markets, housing costs, and commute patterns.

Metro income rankings Compare to another metro

Trends 2017–2023

Income Poverty Home Values Rent Homeownership Education Unemployment Commute Time Work From Home Foreign-Born Uninsured

Data: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023 (released December 2024).

Quick Facts — Mason City, IA Micro Area

What is the median household income in Mason City, IA Micro Area?: The median household income in Mason City, IA Micro Area is $66,394 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
What is the poverty rate in Mason City, IA Micro Area?: The poverty rate in Mason City, IA Micro Area is 5.3% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
What is the median home value in Mason City, IA Micro Area?: $152,100 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
What is the average rent in Mason City, IA Micro Area?: The median gross rent in Mason City, IA Micro Area is $829 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
What percentage of Mason City, IA Micro Area residents have a college degree?: 23.6% of adults in Mason City, IA Micro Area hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).

Population

50,165

Median Income

$66,394

Median Home Value

$152,100

Poverty Rate

5.3%

Unemployment (ACS 2023)

2.7%

Median Age

44.0 yrs

Since 2019 Median Income: +$12,006 (+22.1%) Home Value: +$27,000 (+21.6%) Poverty Rate: -1.9 pp (-26.4%) Bachelor's+: +0.9 pp (+4%) Unemployment: -1.4 pp (-34.1%)

Demographics

Total Population 50,165

Median Age 44.0

Female 50.2%

Race & Ethnicity

Hispanic or Latino 5.1% White (non-Hisp.) 89.6% Black 2.0% Asian 1.1% Two or More 4.1% Other 0.7%

Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)

Chinese

0.4%

Vietnamese

0.2%

Indian

0.1%

Filipino

0.1%

Korean

0.1%

Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)

Mexican

3.9%

Puerto Rican

0.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Income & Poverty

Median Household Income $66,394 ±$2,130

Per Capita Income $89,935

Median Family Income $88,609

Poverty Rate 5.3%

Child Poverty Rate 9.8%

Working-Age Poverty Rate —

SNAP Recipients 8.9%

Social Security Income —

Retirement Income 27.6%

Household Income Distribution

< $10k

3.0%

$10–15k

3.5%

$15–25k

8.4%

$25–35k

9.4%

$35–50k

12.7%

$50–75k

19.4%

$75–100k

13.2%

$100–150k

16.0%

$150–200k

7.5%

$200k+

6.7%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Housing

Total Housing Units 26,217

Owner-Occupied 73.0%

Renter-Occupied 27.0%

Vacancy Rate 13.7%

Median Home Value $152,100

Median Gross Rent $829

Owner Cost Burden (30%+) 16.4%

Renter Cost Burden (30%+) 25.2%

Home Value Distribution

< $50k

6.7%

$50–100k

18.9%

$100–200k

23.6%

$200–300k

16.8%

$300–500k

13.3%

$500k–$1M

4.9%

$1M+

1.0%

Gross Rent Distribution

< $500

12.9%

$500–1k

60.7%

$1–1.5k

19.7%

$1.5–2k

3.6%

$2–2.5k

0.5%

$2.5–3.5k

1.3%

$3.5k+

1.3%

Vehicle Availability

No vehicle

5.3%

1 vehicle

31.2%

2 vehicles

40.1%

23.4%

Housing Type

Single-fam. det.

77.1%

Single-fam. att.

2.6%

2–4 units

2.3%

5–19 units

3.7%

20+ units

5.1%

Mobile home

3.4%

Housing Age

Pre-1940

30.0%

1940–1969

8.4%

1970–1999

14.8%

2000–2009

6.8%

2010+

3.6%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Education

High School or Higher 94.4%

Bachelor's or Higher 23.6%

Graduate Degree 7.5%

Some College / Associate 20.1%

Less Than High School 1.7%

Enrolled in School —

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Employment

Labor Force Participation 65.3%

Unemployment Rate 2.7%

Work from Home 8.3%

Self-Employed 6.8%

Government Workers 12.4%

Private For-Profit 80.8%

Industry

Edu/Health

23.0%

Manufacturing

16.5%

Retail

14.9%

Arts/Entmt.

8.1%

Prof. Services

6.3%

Finance

5.0%

Construction

4.9%

Transportation

4.4%

Agriculture

4.0%

Wholesale

3.7%

Public Admin

3.0%

Information

2.0%

Occupation

Management

33.5%

Production

21.0%

Sales

20.0%

Food Prep

17.4%

Construction

8.1%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Commute

Median Travel Time 16.8 min

Drove Alone 78.5%

Carpool 9.0%

Public Transit 0.5%

Work from Home 8.3%

Walked 2.2%

Bicycle —

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Households & Families

Total Households 22,616

Avg. Household Size 2.00

Avg. Family Size —

Married-Couple Households 47.6%

Single-Mother Households —

Single-Father Households —

Living Alone —

Households with Children 15.5%

Multigenerational —

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Age Distribution

Under 5

5.4%

5–9

5.4%

10–14

6.5%

15–19

5.7%

20–24

5.3%

25–34

11.5%

35–44

11.3%

45–54

11.1%

55–64

7.0%

65–74

7.9%

75–84

13.3%

85+

6.6%

Under 18: 20.9% Working age (18–64): 79.1% 65 and over: 22.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Social Characteristics

Immigration

Foreign Born 1.9%

Naturalized Citizen 44.4%

Speaks English Less Than Very Well 0.7%

Foreign-Born Origin

Asia

36.8%

Latin America

32.9%

Africa

10.7%

Europe

6.3%

Veterans & Disability

Veteran 7.7%

With a Disability 14.3%

Cognitive Difficulty —

Ambulatory Difficulty —

Health Insurance

Insured 95.8%

Uninsured 4.2%

Employer Insurance —

Medicaid —

Medicare —

Technology & Mobility

Broadband Internet 86.9%

Has a Computer 91.8%

Same House 1 Year Ago 88.5%

Moved from Abroad 0.5%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023