City safety & data profile

Mason CityIA

Mason City, IA is a 27K-resident city in Cerro Gordo County with a median household income of $64,804.

Cerro Gordo County, Iowa. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Mason City, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Mason City has a population larger than 59% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $142,000, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

27K
Population
Top 41%
By size
$64,804
Median income
$142,000
Median home
12%
Poverty rate

The read on Mason City

Mason City posts a median household income higher than 29% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 hospital serves the Mason City area.

Top 71%
by median income, US cities
1
hospital in & near Mason City

Where Mason City income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$64,804 Bottom 29% higher than 29% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. IA $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Mason City, IA beyond the headline numbers

Mason City sits inside Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, at roughly 43.15°N, -93.20°W. Population 27,366, $64,804 median household income. Median home value $142,000, median rent $882. Poverty rate 12%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Mason City's highest-prevalence health measure is obesity at 40.5%, then high blood pressure at 36.8%. 1 hospital in/around Mason City, 2/5 avg rating, 1 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Mason City from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
27,366
Mason City
Median Income
$64,804
-5% vs avg
Median Home Value
$142,000
-38% vs avg
Median Age
42.5
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Cerro Gordo County) - Mason City's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
43K-3%
Median Income
$68,189+52%
Median Home Value
$166,400+50%
Poverty Rate
10.6%-20%
Unemployment
2.6%-57%

Economics

Economics indicators for Mason City, IA
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$882/mo
Poverty Rate
12% -15% vs avg
Unemployment 2.8%
Bachelor's Degree+ 20.8%
Work From Home 4.3%
Public Transit 0.9%

Population

White 86.3%
African American 3.5%
Asian 1.3%
Two or More Ethnicities 1.9%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Obesity
40.5%
High Blood Pressure
36.8%
Short Sleep Duration
32%
Physical Inactivity
28%
Binge Drinking
19.4%
Frequent Mental Distress
16.7%
Current Smoking
16.4%
Frequent Physical Distress
13.9%
Diabetes
12.4%
Current Asthma
10.3%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 65.4%
Annual Checkup 77.7%

Other Measures

Coronary Heart Disease
7.8%
Lack of Health Insurance
7.7%
Stroke
3.9%

Hospitals 1 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
0
★★★
0
★★
1
★
0
Average Rating
2/5
Total Hospitals
1
With ER
1
MERCYONE NORTH IOWA MEDICAL CENTER
MASON CITY · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★☆☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Mason City, IA? ▼
Mason City, IA has a population of 27,366 people, located in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa.
What is the median household income in Mason City? ▼
The median household income in Mason City, IA is $64,804 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 12%.
What is the median home value in Mason City? ▼
The median home value in Mason City, IA is $142,000. Median rent is $882/month.
What are the top health concerns in Mason City? ▼
The top health indicators in Mason City include Obesity (40.5%), High Blood Pressure (36.8%), Short Sleep Duration (32%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Mason City? ▼
Mason City has 1 hospital with an average rating of 2/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Mason City? ▼
The median age in Mason City, IA is 42.5 years. 20.8% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Mason City, IA is located in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa. With a population of 27K and a $64,804 median household income, the community faces health challenges including obesity and high blood pressure. Residents have access to 1 hospital with an average rating of 2/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Mason City area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Iowa

Real-time AQI for every monitored Iowa location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Albert Lea, MN 18K Austin, MN 25K Waverly, IA 10K Owatonna, MN 26K Cedar Falls, IA 41K Waterloo, IA 68K Rochester, MN 112K Marshalltown, IA 28K
All cities in Iowa → Compare Mason City vs Albert Lea → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Mason City's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Mason City area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Mason City against Iowa peers on any ranking lens. Explore Iowa

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Cerro Gordo County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.