Mason City, Iowa Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Mason City, IA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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C
Income Below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Mason City | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,248 | 3,204,793 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 710.0 | 57.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.26% | 0.41% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.2 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 9,478 | 1,308,457 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Mason City grew by 3.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 20,248 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Mason City is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 20.5% of residents. That is 1.7 points below Iowa as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,158 20.5% -1.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,839 19.0% -1.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,073 20.1% +1.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,945 19.5% +1.8 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Iowa, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.4% of the people living in Mason City and men 48.6%.
- Women 51.4% Iowa 50.0%
- Men 48.6% Iowa 50.0%
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Economy
Mason City has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Mason City | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $63,646 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.43% | 3.99% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Mason City is about 15% lower than in Iowa.
Housing
| Metric | Mason City | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $56,099 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $900 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 66.0% | 71.7% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Mason City is about 5.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $900 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Mason City spend about 24 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 99 hours, about 4.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Mason City | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 11.8 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 23.7 | 33.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 99 | 141 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,059 | $4,382 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.2% | 11.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,365 | 4,993 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,367 | 606 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Mason City is 12 minutes, shorter than the 17 minutes in Iowa.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Mason City has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Mason City | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.4% | 27.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.07 | 2.37 | 2.53 |
Health
Mason City has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Mason City | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.6 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.3% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.8% | 17.6% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Mason City, Iowa.
What is the population of Mason City, Iowa?
About 20,248 people live in Mason City, Iowa, in 9,478 households of 2.1 people on average. The median age is 43.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
How densely populated is Mason City, Iowa?
Averaged over its land area, Mason City, Iowa has 710 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 8.2 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Mason City, Iowa?
The median home costs 0.9 times the median household income ($56,099 against $63,646), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $900 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Mason City, Iowa?
Unemployment in Mason City, Iowa is only 3.1%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Mason City, Iowa have a college degree?
18.4% of adults in Mason City, Iowa hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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