Mason City, IA

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2024 Population
49,982
US Senator
Chuck Grassley
Republican Party
US Senator
Joni Ernst
Republican Party
2024 Poverty Rate
10.2%
12.7% 1-year increase
2024 Median Household Income
$68,926
3.81% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$162,900
7.1% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
25,370
2.26% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Mason City, IA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

98.6% of the residents in Mason City, IA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Mason City, IA are North Iowa Area Community College (893 degrees awarded in 2023) and La James College of Hairstyling and Cosmetology (50 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Mason City, IA was $162,900, and the homeownership rate was 72.1%.

Most people in Mason City, IA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 16.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Mason City, IA was 2 cars per household.

Mason City, IA borders Albert Lea, MN and Austin, MN.

United StatesIowa

Population & Diversity

Mason City, IA is home to a population of 50k people, from which 98.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 2.31% of Mason City, IA residents were born outside of the country (1.15k people).

In 2024, there were 32.3 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (44.5k people) in Mason City, IA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.38k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 898 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.6%
2024 Citizenship
98.9%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.6% of Mason City, IA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Mason City, IA was 98.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Mason City, IA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Mason City, IA
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    44.5k ± 101
  2. Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
    1.38k ± 225
  3. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
    898 ± 224
5.31%
Hispanic Population
2.66k people

In 2024, there were 32.3 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (44.5k people) in Mason City, IA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.38k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 898 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

5.31% of the people in Mason City, IA are hispanic (2.66k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Mason City, IA as a share of the total population.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for Iowa.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    42,808 ± 5,046 people
  2. India
    12,283 ± 2,716 people
  3. China
    7,889 ± 2,178 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Iowa was Mexico, the natal country of 42,808 Iowa residents, followed by India with 12,283 and China with 7,889.

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Foreign-Born Population

2.31%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
1.15k people
1.88%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
945 people

As of 2024, 2.31% of Mason City, IA residents (1.15k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Mason City, IA was 1.88%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Mason City, IA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    1,075 ± 178
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    686 ± 167
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    344 ± 119

Mason City, IA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.57 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Mason City, IA.

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Economy

The economy of Mason City, IA employs 25.4k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Mason City, IA were Manufacturing (4,287 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (4,036 people), and Retail Trade (3,569 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($98,854), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($68,400), and Finance & Insurance ($66,333).

Employment

Occupations

25.4k
2024 Value
± 1,107
−2.26%
1 Year decline
± 6.12%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Mason City, IA declined at a rate of −2.26%, from 26k employees to 25.4k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Mason City, IA, are Management Occupations (2,857 people), Sales & Related Occupations (2,810 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (2,369 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Mason City, IA.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Iowa (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

25.4k
2024 Value
± 1,107
−2.26%
1 Year decline
± 6.12%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Mason City, IA declined at a rate of −2.26%, from 26k employees to 25.4k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Mason City, IA, are Manufacturing (4,287 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (4,036 people), and Retail Trade (3,569 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Mason City, IA, though some of these residents may live in Mason City, IA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$51,970
Median earning men ± $1,860
$37,382
Median earning women ± $2,026

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($85,491), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($69,107), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($68,967).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Information ($66,458), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($54,863), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($51,625).

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Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.
Y-Axis
1.48%
Year-over-year growth
Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.57M people employed in Iowa. This represents a 1.48% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Iowa.

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Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments
  1. 123
    Other Services (except Public Administration)
  2. 94
    Construction
  3. 84
    Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

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Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll
  1. $250k
    Health Care and Social Assistance
  2. $202k
    Manufacturing
  3. $106k
    Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

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Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Iowa went to Donald J. Trump with 55.7% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (42.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.789%).

Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst are the senators currently representing the state of Iowa. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Iowa is currently represented by 4 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Voting results are not available for Mason City, IA. Showing the available data for Iowa.
2024 Election Results
  1. Donald J. Trump (55.7%)
    Republican Party
  2. Kamala Harris (42.5%)
    Democratic Party
  3. Robert Kennedy (0.789%)
    Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Iowa went to Donald J. Trump with 55.7% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (42.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.789%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Iowa for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

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Senator Elections

US Senators from Iowa

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.
Chuck Grassley
Senator from Iowa3
Assumed office on January 3, 1981
Joni Ernst
Senator from Iowa2
Assumed office on January 3, 2015

Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst are the senators currently representing Iowa.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Iowa over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

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Education

In 2023, universities in Mason City, IA awarded 943 degrees. The student population of Mason City, IA in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 1,125 male students and 1,402 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Mason City, IA are White (792 and 85.9%), Hispanic or Latino (71 and 7.7%), Black or African American (24 and 2.6%), and Two or More Races (17 and 1.84%).

The largest universities in Mason City, IA by number of degrees awarded are North Iowa Area Community College (893 and 94.7%) and La James College of Hairstyling and Cosmetology (50 and 5.3%).

The most popular majors in Mason City, IA are Liberal Arts & Sciences (291 and 30.9%), Nursing Assistant & Patient Care Assistant (107 and 11.3%), and Physical Education Teaching & Coaching (51 and 5.41%).

The median tuition cost in Mason City, IA for a public four year colleges is $13,356 for in-state students and $13,356 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 2,527 students enrolled in Mason City, IA, 44.5% men and 55.5% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 2,068 records, of which 55.9% were women and 44.1% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. General Business Administration & Management
    21 degrees awarded
  2. Liberal Arts & Sciences
    291 degrees awarded
  3. Registered Nursing
    47 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Mason City, IA was General Business Administration & Management with 21 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Mason City, IA according to their major.

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Universities

Gender
Race
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
  1. North Iowa Area Community College
    893 degrees awarded
  2. La James College of Hairstyling and Cosmetology
    50 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was North Iowa Area Community College with 893 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

In 2023, 391 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Mason City, IA, which is 0.708 times less than the 552 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 792 degrees mean that there were 11.2 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 71 degrees awarded.

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Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

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Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 2-year ($5,618) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($818) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,420) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Mason City, IA was $162,900 in 2024, which is 0.49 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $152,100 to $162,900, a 7.1% increase. The homeownership rate in Mason City, IA is 72.1%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Mason City, IA have an average commute time of 16.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Mason City, IA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$162,900
Median Property Value 2024
±$5,453
$16,389
Median Property Taxes
±$775

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Mason City, IA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Mason City, IA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

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Rent vs Own

72.1%
Homeownership
2024
61.2%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 72.1% of the housing units in Mason City, IA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 73%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Mason City, IA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$68,926
Median Household Income
± $2,257
22.7k
Number of Households
± 984

In 2024, the median household income of the 22.7k households in Mason City, IA grew to $68,926 from the previous year's value of $66,394.

The following chart displays the households in Mason City, IA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Mason City, IA is from Iowa.
0.441
2023 Wage GINI in Iowa
0.442
2022 Wage GINI in Iowa

In 2023, the income inequality in Iowa was 0.441 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.304% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Iowa was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Iowa in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Iowa across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (79.3%)
  2. Worked At Home (7.85%)
  3. Carpooled (7.78%)

In 2024, 79.3% of workers in Mason City, IA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (7.85%) and those who carpooled to work (7.78%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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Commute Time

16.5 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Mason City, IA have a shorter commute time (16.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.13% of the workforce in Mason City, IA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Mason City, IA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Mason City, IA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Mason City, IA have 2 cars.

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

10.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Mason City, IA (5k out of 49k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 55 - 64, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Mason City, IA is White, followed by Hispanic and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Health

95.1% of the population of Mason City, IA has health coverage, with 46.9% on employee plans, 16.7% on Medicaid, 17.7% on Medicare, 11.9% on non-group plans, and 2% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Iowa see 1,385 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,385 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1411 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 466 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.9% were men and 50.1% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.
1,385 to 1
Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Iowa

Primary care physicians in Iowa see an average of 1,385 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,385 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Iowa in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

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Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22% under 18 years, 17.6% between 18 and 34 years, 37.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 22.7% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.9% were men and 50.1% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

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Uninsured People

4.88%
Uninsured
46.9%
Employer Coverage
16.7%
Medicaid
17.7%
Medicare
11.9%
Non-Group
2%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Mason City, IA grew by 17.1% from 4.17% to 4.88%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Mason City, IA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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