Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of contrasts. Where it falls short is cost of living: the typical home is worth about $300K, 4 years of the Iowa City metro’s $75K median household income. Overall, Iowa City earns a C+, better than 45% of U.S. towns. In the ranking it comes 92nd of 140 in Iowa State. Hazard risk is weaker too: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than nearly three quarters of U.S. communities, with tornadoes at the top. Its strongest subject is walkability — it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 96% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Old Capitol and Plum Grove. 26% of residents live below the poverty line here, against 11% in Iowa State’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns.
Figures: home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · FEMA National Risk Index · National Register of Historic Places.
Where Iowa City beats most towns.
Old CapitolOld Capitol is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier. Its 77 National Register listings are more than in 98% of Iowa State towns with a listing.
Census counts: 1,250 in 1850, 74,828 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1940 and 5 maps from 1891 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa State), ordered by how far Iowa City is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Iowa City, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Iowa City.
Iowa City is shaped by its college students and draws workers from Coralville and beyond, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Iowa State (mostly tornadoes).
At 2.1 miles of trail per square mile, it ranks #3 of 87 Iowa State towns. Its A+ for the outdoors ranks #2 of 140 in Iowa State.
There are 55 miles of trail across 57 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Waterworks Prairie Park, at 229 acres. Parks and preserves in Iowa City: 57, covering 1,662 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hickory Hill Park | 7.6 mi | 191 |
| 2. Terry Trueblood Recreation Area | 3.9 mi | 209 |
| 3. Peninsula Park | 3.1 mi | 124 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Iowa City Community School District. Below: Three of its 20 schools, each with why it was picked. The 6 public schools in Iowa City teach 2,327 students between them.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southeast Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,269 | C+ |
| Iowa City High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,666 | B− |
| Lincoln Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 217 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
53,770 jobs are based in Iowa City, 1.8 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
Iowa City’s mean commuting time comes in at 17 minutes. Only one of the 140 Iowa State towns we compare has a higher share of residents below the poverty line than Iowa City. The top destinations are Coralville (8%), Cedar Rapids (8%) and North Liberty (2%). Half commute less than 3 miles.
| Iowa City | Iowa State towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 26% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $59,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 12% | 8.5% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 8,524 U.S. towns with household incomes like Iowa City’s, it is healthier than 97%, so its A− isn’t only a matter of income.
The share of adults in Iowa City who smoke cigarettes: 12%. CDC measures, 32 in all: Iowa City beats Iowa State on 12 and trails on 8. In Iowa City, 26% of adults have high blood pressure, and 7.9% have diabetes. Only 3 of the 140 Iowa State towns we compare have a higher share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Iowa City.
| Iowa City | Iowa State towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 20% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 35% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 7.9% | 12% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Iowa City | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.5% | 8.7% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 4.2% | 6.6% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 10.6% | 6.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Reported crimes fell from 1,696 to 1,434 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Its level of violent crime comes in at 2.6 per 1,000 residents. Iowa City’s property crime rate stands at 16 per 1,000 residents.
| Iowa City | Iowa State towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 16 per 1,000 residents | 7.2 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.6 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 93% of Iowa State towns, with expected losses of about $582 per resident a year; that rating is what its C− for hazard risk is built on.
In Iowa City, the FEMA risk score is 74 of 100. Paid flood insurance claims in the town since 1978: 211. Expected losses in Iowa City break down as 38% from tornadoes and 30% from inland flooding. Federal aid has come to Iowa City households in 7 declared disasters; the latest was in 2020.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
61.9% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 43.9% across Iowa State. The median property tax bill is $4,838, against $2,897 across Iowa State, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
On the market in Iowa City: a median 28 days to sell. Only 8 of the 140 Iowa State towns we compare have a higher share of renters spending 30% or more of income on rent than Iowa City. Zillow values the typical Iowa City home at about $301,000, up 3% in a year, 27% above the Iowa State typical home.
| Iowa City | Iowa State towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 47% | 70% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 62% | 42% | 48% |
| Median rent | $1,094 a month | $909 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 13° and about 28 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Iowa City. Close and well known come first.
in town Stadium & arenaKinnick Stadium
10 mi MuseumHerbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum
in town Stadium & arenaCarver–Hawkeye Arena
9 mi National Historic SiteHerbert Hoover National Historic Site107K visitors a year
in town MuseumUniversity of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art
in town MuseumUniversity of Iowa Museum of Natural HistoryKinnick Stadium: Count_de_Des_Moines (talk) (Uploads), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum: Shadow2700, Public domain · Carver–Hawkeye Arena: Asolsma1988, CC0 · Herbert Hoover National Historic Site: Billwhittaker, CC BY-SA 3.0 · University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art: w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0 · University of Iowa Museum of Natural History: Billwhittaker (talk) at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Iowa City
College town 33 of every 100 Iowa City residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa State.
15.1% of the town is conserved land, across 57 parks and preserves.
77 places in Iowa City on the National Register of Historic Places.
54 notable people were born in Iowa City.
One town shares a border with Iowa City.
| Town | IA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa City | #92 | C+ | C− | C | B− | A− |
| Coralville | #88 | B− | C− | C | B− | A |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Iowa City grades C+ overall, better than 45% of U.S. towns and #92 of 140 in Iowa State. It grades A− for health, C for safety and B− for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a C−.
54 notable people were born here, including N. K. Jemisin and Nate Ruess.
