Charles City, IA
Census place 1912765 · pop 7,232
Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
12.8% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
83.4% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
-2.2% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
39.7% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
16.1% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
1.52% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$59,180 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
334 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
28.2% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
13.3% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
3.7% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
16.4% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities
67.9% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities
850 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
7.7% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 0.43 · better than most cities
Gini 0.40 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
43/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$115,400 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
15 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
Not measured for Charles City: Air, Bad air, Rent. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is Charles City, IA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Charles City scores 50/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 19 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is commute time and its weakest is bachelor's degree or higher. Iowa overall ranks #11 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Charles City, IA?
- Charles City reports 334 violent crimes per 100k and 850 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Charles City, IA expensive to live in?
- Charles City has a median home value of $115,400 — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Charles City, IA?
- Its weakest measured area is bachelor's degree or higher (12.8%) — 5/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Charles City, IA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is commute time (15 min) — 95/100, better than most U.S. cities.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.