Red Oak, IA
Census place 1966135 · pop 5,510
Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
83.3% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
19.1% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
1.96% 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
$50,109 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
41.3% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
21.9% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
17.7% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
31.9% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.45 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
277 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
59.9% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
17.7% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
+2.8% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
42 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
8.7% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities
960 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
21 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
0 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
40/100 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 3.6% · better than most cities
2.5% 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 $214,900 · better than most cities
$99,700 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
Not measured for Red Oak: 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 Red Oak, IA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Red Oak scores 50/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 21 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is housing cost and its weakest is broadband access. 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 Red Oak, IA?
- Red Oak reports 277 violent crimes per 100k and 960 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Red Oak, IA expensive to live in?
- Red Oak has a median home value of $99,700 — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Red Oak, IA?
- Its weakest measured area is broadband access (83.3%) — 8/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Red Oak, IA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is housing cost ($99,700) — 97/100, 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.