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Living in Iowa City

The city had 28 schools in 2026. Iowa City, a city in the United States, had a population of 75,752 in July 2026. In July 2026, 61.9% of renter households spent at least 30% of income on housing. There were 2,891 physicians per 100,000 residents in 2026.

Last checked 2026-09-1928 sources

Population76,229people31 Dec 2025Official source · U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program
Median gross salary1,699EUR/month31 Dec 2024Community source · Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS)
Median rent961.6EUR/month31 Dec 2024Independent source · Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables
Unemployment rate4.64%31 Dec 2024Independent source · Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables
Recorded crime1,995offences per 100,000country median 1,586 — 26% aboveOfficial source · FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting
PM2.5, annual mean7.47µg/m³country median 7.0 — 6% aboveOfficial source · EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024

More recorded crime than 62% of American cities that publish it and dirtier air than 61% of American cities that publish it.

Which United States-wide rules apply when you move to Iowa City?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Housing and cost

Median gross rent was US$1,094 per month, while the median home value was US$285,900 in July 2026. Owner occupation was 47.2%, and the vacancy rate was 9% in July 2026.

What recurs every month5 published recurring costs, € per month
Iowa City recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€1103
Utilities, 85 m² flat€210
Internet, 60 Mbps€65
Fitness club€43
Mobile plan, 10 GB€42

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Fitness club membership, monthly42.95 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Numbeo - Cost of Living in Iowa City (Wayback Machine capture 20260221150355)28Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited64.55 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Numbeo - Cost of Living in Iowa City (Wayback Machine capture 20260221150355)28Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly1,103 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Numbeo - Cost of Living in Iowa City (Wayback Machine capture 20260221150355)28Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB42.29 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Numbeo - Cost of Living in Iowa City (Wayback Machine capture 20260221150355)28Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home209.7 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Numbeo - Cost of Living in Iowa City (Wayback Machine capture 20260221150355)28Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Median gross rent$1,094/month4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent2Official
Households spending over 30% of income on rent61.88 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent2Official
Housing vacancy rate (legacy series)9 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent2Official
Property crime per 100,000 residents1,618 per 100,000 people1 Jul 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics10Official
Average monthly rent (whole dwelling)1,186 EUR/month31 Dec 2020ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, tables B25065 (Aggregate Gross Rent) and B25063 (Gross Rent, units with cash rent)1Official
Median monthly rent961.6 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables23Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Recorded property crimes1,237 offenses/year31 Dec 2025FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)11Official

Is Iowa City a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker52%strong on work, weak on air quality · range 44–60%
Skilled employee56%strong on work, weak on safety · range 47–65%
Student49%strong on education, weak on work · range 39–59%
Family44%strong on family, weak on cost · range 35–53%
Retirement45%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 35–55%

Worked out from these numbers

How international is the population?

12.1% of residents hold a foreign nationality — 9,206 of 76,229 people. This counts nationality, not place of birth, so long-settled residents who naturalised are not in it.

Uses a supplemental estimate, so treat it as indicative.

Work and income

Median household income was US$58,546 a year in July 2026.

Unemployment across cities in United StatesUnemployment in Iowa City is 4.6%. Of 2,153 cities with data, 1,250 have unemployment of 0 to under 5%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Median household income58,546 USD/year4 Jul 2026ACS total population3Official
Households with cable, fibre or DSL broadband76.61 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population3Official
Households with a broadband subscription86.1 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population3Official
Households with internet but no subscription9.79 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population3Official
Households without internet3.74 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population3Official
Households with satellite internet5.82 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population3Official
Median gross salary1,699 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS)22Community estimate · Supplemental context
Median gross salary (regional)3,699 EUR/month31 Dec 2025www.bls.gov21Official
Unemployment rate4.64 %31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables23Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context

What does a salary buy in Iowa City?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

regional median gross pay: €3,699 (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025-12-31).
Left over each month€1,396of €2,899 take-home
  • Rent
  • Utilities
  • Internet
  • Mobile
  • Left over
Line-by-line breakdown and sources
Each month€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08.€2,899
Rentaverage rent of a whole dwelling · official · ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, tables B25065 (Aggregate Gross Rent) and B25063 (Gross Rent, units with cash rent) · 2020-12-31− €1,186
Public transport passnot published for this city—
Utilities, 85 m²€210 · market price · Numbeo - Cost of Living in Iowa City (Wayback Machine capture 20260221150355) · 2026-07-31− €210
Internet€65 · market price · Numbeo - Cost of Living in Iowa City (Wayback Machine capture 20260221150355) · 2026-07-31− €65
Mobile plan€42 · market price · Numbeo - Cost of Living in Iowa City (Wayback Machine capture 20260221150355) · 2026-07-31− €42
Left overbefore the bill this city does not publish€1,396
Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Iowa City Salary needed to live in Iowa City

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Iowa City. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

American Job Centers — Public employment service

U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration

Job Search

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Iowa City. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
Residents with high school education or higher96.5 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent2Official
Schools28 schools30 Jun 2026NCES CCD public school count14Official
School enrolment, share of residents45.33 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent2Official

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
Mental health provider ratio112 ratio30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio13Official
Primary care doctors per 100,000 residents2,891 per 100,000 people30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio13Official
Preventable hospitalizations1,892 per 100,000 people30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio13Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Iowa City when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

Recorded crime across major citiesIowa City highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Iowa City highlighted

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Philadelphia5,457
Houston5,442
San Antonio5,218
Chicago4,012
Dallas4,010
Austin3,709
Fort Worth3,158
Phoenix3,125
New York City3,039
Los Angeles2,212
San Diego2,082
Iowa City1,995
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents1,995 offences per 100,000country median 1,58631 Dec 2024FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting12Official
Violent crime per 100,000 residents215.8 per 100,000 people1 Jul 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics10Official
Recorded violent crimes197 offenses/year31 Dec 2025FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)11Official

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Average commute time17.29 minutes4 Jul 2026ACS total population3Official
Workers commuting by bicycle2.83 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population3Official
Workers commuting by public transport6.01 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population3Official
Workers walking to work14.61 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population3Official
Nearest airportIOW3 Aug 2026OurAirports18Official
Distance to nearest airport3 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports18Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Iowa City. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Adult Education and English Language Acquisition (AEFLA) — State Language Course

U.S. Department of Education

For adult learners, adult English-language learners.

EnglishIn Person, Online, HybridCost varies

USCIS English and citizenship class finder — Civic Orientation

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

For immigrants, future citizens.

EnglishIn Person, OnlineCost varies
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Iowa City.

Find courses near Iowa City

Climate and air quality

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in United StatesAnnual PM2.5 in Iowa City is 7.5 µg/m³. Of 968 cities with data, 261 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean7.47 µg/m³country median 7.031 Dec 2024EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 20249Official
Average daytime high by monthJan -1.5 · Feb 1.28 · Mar 8.83 · Apr 16.44 · May 22.33 · Jun 27.22 · Jul 29.11 · Aug 28 · Sep 24.61 · Oct 17.33 · Nov 8.61 · Dec 1.33 °C1991–2020NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USC00134101 (IOWA CITY)17Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by monthJan -11.33 · Feb -9.17 · Mar -3 · Apr 2.83 · May 9.39 · Jun 15 · Jul 16.94 · Aug 15.67 · Sep 10.89 · Oct 4.39 · Nov -2.44 · Dec -8.06 °C1991–2020NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USC00134101 (IOWA CITY)17Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by monthJan -5.11 · Feb -2.78 · Mar 4.17 · Apr 10.78 · May 17 · Jun 22.44 · Jul 24.33 · Aug 23.06 · Sep 18.78 · Oct 11.72 · Nov 4.33 · Dec -2.11 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information16Official
Average precipitation by monthJan 28.96 · Feb 35.56 · Mar 59.18 · Apr 98.04 · May 128.3 · Jun 139.4 · Jul 115.8 · Aug 109.7 · Sep 87.63 · Oct 76.2 · Nov 57.66 · Dec 40.64 mm1991–2020NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USC00134101 (IOWA CITY)17Official · nearest-station reading
PM2.5, highest monitored reading134.5 µg/m³1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean8Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county
PM2.5, annual mean10.26 µg/m³1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean8Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county
PM2.5 monitoring sites5 monitors1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean8Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county
Annual precipitation607.7 mm30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals15Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
Maximum July temperature23.56 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals15Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
Average annual temperature11.45 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals15Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
Minimum January temperature-2.23 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals15Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation

Similar climate. In United States: Cedar Rapids ±0.5 °C. Elsewhere: Chatham-Kent (Canada) ±1.7 °C, Markham (Canada) ±2.4 °C, Mississauga (Canada) ±2.4 °C, Richmond Hill (Canada) ±2.4 °C, Vaughan (Canada) ±2.4 °C. Twenty closest, compared month by month

Monthly highs and lows against the 1991–2020 station normals of the nearest station; ± is the average monthly difference.

Population and city profile

Foreign residents and their share come from different publications that count different groups (for example citizens of another country, or people born abroad, or of foreign origin), so 9,206 is not 6.9% of the population. Each row names its source.

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Foreign-resident share6.94 %31 Dec 2020Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)6Official
Foreign residents9,206 people31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables23Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Population density1,142 people/km²31 Dec 2025Census Reporter / U.S. Census Bureau7Official
Population76,229 people31 Dec 2025U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program20Official
Population covered by crime statistics77,166 people31 Dec 2025FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)11Official

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Median home value285,900 USD4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent2Official
Owner-occupied homes47.2 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent2Official
Labour force participation rate68.37 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population3Official
Residents born abroad12.15 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population3Official
Naturalized citizens, share of residents5.21 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population3Official
Non-citizens, share of residents6.94 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population3Official
Flu vaccination coverage64.88 %30 Jun 2026CDC BRFSS flu vaccination coverage4Official
Mammography screening coverage80.8 %30 Jun 2026CDC mammography screening rate5Official
Residents without health insurance4.46 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent2Official
Residents with a bachelor's degree or higher60.54 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent2Official
Crime reporting agencies1 agencies1 Jul 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics10Official
Households with a vehicle available88.99 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent2Official
Public transport agencies in the National Transit Database0 agencies4 Jul 2026ACS total population3Official
Workers aged 16 and over41,577 workers4 Jul 2026ACS total population3Official
Workers mainly working from home12.23 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population3Official
Households using cellular data plans81.5 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population3Official

Alternatives for people set on Iowa City

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

North Liberty as an Iowa City alternative in the same region

12 km away, better on 3 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2.

  • Median gross pay, city: €4,097 North Liberty vs €1,699 Iowa City+141%
  • Nearest airport: 13.0 km North Liberty vs 3.0 km Iowa City+333%
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 467 North Liberty vs 1,995 Iowa City−77%
  • Unemployment: 3.3% North Liberty vs 4.6% Iowa City−28%
  • Foreign residents: 3.3% North Liberty vs 6.9% Iowa City−52%
  • Residents: 21,976 North Liberty vs 76,229 Iowa City−71%
  • Median gross pay, region: €3,699 North Liberty vs €3,699 Iowa Citysame level

Arlington Heights as an Iowa City alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 297 km, better on 6 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1.

  • Median gross pay, city: €4,972 Arlington Heights vs €1,699 Iowa City+193%
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 930 Arlington Heights vs 1,995 Iowa City−53%
  • Nearest airport: 7.0 km Arlington Heights vs 3.0 km Iowa City+133%
  • Unemployment: 3.5% Arlington Heights vs 4.6% Iowa City−25%
  • Median gross pay, region: €4,043 Arlington Heights vs €3,699 Iowa City+9%
  • Foreign residents: 8.5% Arlington Heights vs 6.9% Iowa City+22%
  • Basic utilities, 85 m²: €176 Arlington Heights vs €210 Iowa City−16%

Cities near Iowa City

Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.

Alternative cities in United States

Other cities in United States to compare with Iowa City, nearest in population first.

All United States cities

How does Iowa City compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Iowa City's.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

What is the typical salary around Iowa City?

The median gross salary is 3,699 EUR/month. Source: www.bls.gov.

What is the unemployment rate in Iowa City?

The unemployment rate is 4.64 %. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables.

Is the air quality good in Iowa City?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 7.47 µg/m³. The WHO 2021 guideline is 5 µg/m³ and the EU limit value is 25 µg/m³, so this reading is above the WHO guideline but within the EU limit. Source: EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024.

How safe is Iowa City?

Police recorded 1,995 offences per 100,000. This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting.

How many people live in Iowa City?

The published population is 76,229 people. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program.

How many foreign residents live in Iowa City?

9,206 residents hold a foreign nationality. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables.

Is Iowa City a good place to live?

Iowa City may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Which cities are near Iowa City?

Coralville, North Liberty, Tiffin are near Iowa City. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Iowa City, United States: population, rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version d34d0b746a2bb47d681e881ac1f02caa]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/iowa-city/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_iowa-city-united-states-population-rent-salary-jobs_d2f5039f9d00,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Iowa City, United States: population, rent, salary, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {d34d0b746a2bb47d681e881ac1f02caa},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/iowa-city/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Iowa City, United States: population, rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/iowa-city/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version d34d0b746a2bb47d681e881ac1f02caa; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, tables B25065 (Aggregate Gross Rent) and B25063 (Gross Rent, units with cash rent) www2.census.gov · checked 2026-09-19
  2. ACS median gross rent api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-04
  3. ACS total population api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-04
  4. CDC BRFSS flu vaccination coverage data.cdc.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  5. CDC mammography screening rate data.cdc.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  6. Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
  7. Census Reporter / U.S. Census Bureau api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
  8. EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-07-01
  9. EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024 aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-07-26
  10. FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-07-01
Show 18 more sources
  1. FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip) cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-09-05
  2. FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-08-04
  3. HRSA mental health provider ratio data.hrsa.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  4. NCES CCD public school count nces.ed.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  5. NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  6. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  7. NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USC00134101 (IOWA CITY) NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
  8. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  9. TIGERweb ACS2023 — Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas (CBSA, January 1 2023) TIGERweb ACS2023 · tigerweb.geo.census.gov · checked 2026-09-19
  10. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program www2.census.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  11. www.bls.gov bls.gov · checked 2026-08-27
  12. Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-09-11
  13. Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-26
  14. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  15. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  16. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  17. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  18. Numbeo - Cost of Living in Iowa City (Wayback Machine capture 20260221150355) numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-31

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.