Spirit Lake, IA
Census place 1974415 · pop 5,518
Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
88.3% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
38.5% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
342 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
14.7% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$65,720 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
26.8% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
1440 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
1.05% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
25.5% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities
67.5% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
3.4% 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
$215,100 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
15.8% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+8.9% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
6.3% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
6.3% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 0.43 · better than most cities
Gini 0.38 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
44/100 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 24 min · better than most cities
13 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
Not measured for Spirit Lake: 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 Spirit Lake, IA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Spirit Lake scores 58/100 — 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 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 Spirit Lake, IA?
- Spirit Lake reports 342 violent crimes per 100k and 1440 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Spirit Lake, IA expensive to live in?
- Spirit Lake has a median home value of $215,100 — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Spirit Lake, IA?
- Its weakest measured area is broadband access (88.3%) — 27/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Spirit Lake, IA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is commute time (13 min) — 98/100, 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.