Housing Value★★★★★★★★★★2.9 / 5Home values compared with local household income.
Living in Iowa City, IA
Explore Iowa City and see how it fits the life you want to build.
Overall Match6.7 / 10
Baseline match from currently available location scores. Choose priorities to personalize it.
Iowa City at a Glance
Key facts and current data
Population75,752
Median Household Income$58,546
Median Home Value$285,900
Median Gross Rent$1,094
Median Age26.2
Average Household Size2.2
Unemployment4.6%
Work From Home12.2%
Homeownership47.2%
Housing Vacancy9.0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year.
Iowa City is a mid-sized community where local neighborhoods, nearby job centers and regional access can matter as much as citywide averages.
Experience the Area
Experience Life in Iowa City Before You Move
Explore Short-Term Stays in Iowa City →Stay options powered by Stay22 · affiliate
NarrowTheList highly recommends you spend a week or two in Iowa City and experience everyday life before deciding whether it is the right place to call home. Use that time to explore neighborhoods, drive your normal routes, shop where residents shop, and get a feel for the area at different times of day.
NarrowTheList Ratings
Data-driven starter ratings. More categories appear automatically as new datasets are added.
Housing & Cost of Living in Iowa City
Current housing indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau
Median Home Value$285,900
Median Gross Rent$1,094
Homeownership47.2%
Housing Vacancy9.0%
Home values are moderately high relative to local household income, making neighborhood-level price differences important for buyers. Renters make up a substantial share of the local housing market.
Jobs, Income & Remote Work
Employment and household-income context for Iowa City, IA
Median Household Income$58,546
Unemployment4.6%
Work From Home12.2%
The reported unemployment rate is in a middle range. A meaningful share of employed residents work from home.
Population & Household Profile
Who lives in Iowa City and how households are structured
Population75,752
Median Age26.2
Average Household Size2.2
Iowa City is a mid-sized community where neighborhood and nearby-employment patterns can materially affect a relocation decision.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year. NarrowTheList presents these values as relocation context; conditions can vary within a community.
Climate & Weather in Iowa City
Long-term NOAA climate normals and practical seasonal context
NOAA climate normals for Iowa City point to hot summers, cold winters, a wetter annual rainfall pattern and a meaningful winter snowfall season.
Average Summer High85.8°F
Average Winter Low14.6°F
Annual Rainfall35.7 in.
Annual Snowfall27.5 in.
Seasonal Life in Iowa City
What the long-term climate pattern may mean for everyday living.
Spring
Spring is a useful time to evaluate how quickly outdoor conditions become comfortable and how seasonal rain affects everyday routines.
Summer
Summer is warm enough that shade and cooling still matter, but the typical high is below the extreme-heat range seen in many hotter U.S. markets.
Fall
Fall marks a substantial seasonal transition here. It is a useful time to judge how quickly temperatures change and whether that seasonal swing fits the lifestyle you want.
Winter
Freezing winter lows and meaningful snowfall make snow removal, winter driving, heating costs and cold-weather routines important parts of evaluating the area.
Source: NOAA/NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020. Seasonal descriptions are relocation context derived from the available long-term normals, not a forecast.
Iowa City is located in Johnson County, but city-level housing, income and neighborhood conditions can differ meaningfully from countywide averages. Johnson County. Current county foreclosure activity is classified as medium, adding another housing-market signal for buyers comparing conventional and distressed-property opportunities.
County Intelligence
Iowa City & Johnson County
Medium
Foreclosure Activity
Iowa City is located in Johnson County, Iowa.
NarrowTheList uses county-level information alongside local community data because many factors that matter when choosing a place to live are measured beyond city boundaries. Housing, property taxes, employment, healthcare access and other regional characteristics can add useful context to the picture of life in Iowa City.
Current NarrowTheList data for Iowa City shows a population of about 75,752. These local figures become more useful when read together with county-level tax, housing, foreclosure and demographic conditions rather than treated as isolated city statistics.
Foreclosure Activity: Medium. Current signal uses NarrowTheList foreclosure-opportunity data until direct county delinquency and foreclosure datasets are connected.
For someone comparing homes, county boundaries can matter because taxes, public services, court and recording systems, assessment practices and housing-market conditions are often administered or reported at the county level. NarrowTheList keeps that county relationship attached to the community so future tax, foreclosure, housing and demographic data can be interpreted in the correct geographic context.
County relationship
Johnson County
How NarrowTheList uses it
County information is used as a supporting geographic layer, not as a substitute for local data. As more county datasets are added, NarrowTheList can use them to improve comparisons, ratings and relocation insights for Iowa City.
Nearby Cities & Communities
Nearby incorporated cities, towns, villages and other municipalities shown by straight-line distance.