United States › Mason City MICROPOLITAN AREA
Mason City Micro Mason City, IA · 2 counties · 49,710 residents (2025 est.) · 968 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2020 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS
The short version
With 49,982 people, Mason City is a metro area. Few US metro areas rank higher on income. The median age is 44.0, about 5 years above the US median. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 23% of adults. The typical home is worth $163,371, having more than doubled since 2000. 2% of residents were born outside the United States.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 44.0
US median: 38.9
Less educated
23% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 54,356 in 2000
49,710 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
from 56 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
from 39.5 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
50K 51K 52K 54K 55K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Mason City Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $69,633
+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $35,951 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $18,859 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 23.6% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 8.5% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.428 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 4.7%
Professional, scientific, technical 4.5%
Transportation & warehousing 3.4%
Arts, entertainment, food 2.1%
Education & health services 0.9%
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$163,371
+22%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $73,801 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$836
+16%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $397 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 72.6% in 2000
27.8% rent
from 10.9% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.22 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 20.3% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 36.4% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 2.3 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 95.1%(51,670)
Hispanic / Latino 2.6%(1,415)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 89%(44,476)
Hispanic / Latino 5.3%(2,655)
from 15 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
from 23 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 30 more ancestry groups with data from 19.2% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 87.1% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 5.7% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 10.9 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 79.6% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 10.3% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.8% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 5.4% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 2.9% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.5% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 4.5% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 6.0% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 69.0% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 81.4% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 11.4% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 30.3% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 2.2% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 10.8% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 13.0% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 8.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 72.4% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 86.7% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 88.5% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 96.4% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 2.0% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 29.6%(6,072)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 8.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 55.8% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 20.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 23.3% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 19.4% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 4.0% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 74.1% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 39.8% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later) 21.4%(686)
Gulf War (1990s) 14.7%(472)
Share of the 3,201 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
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In this metro
Largest cities What's inside
2 component counties Drill deeper
Metros similar to Mason City Head to head
Compare Mason City side by side MASON CITY VS
Burley
Income $70,619 +1%
Home value $274,355 +68%
Population 49,308 −1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MASON CITY VS
Ashland
Income $69,860 same
Home value $186,800 +14%
Population 52,523 +6%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MASON CITY VS
Bemidji
Income $68,975 −1%
Home value $237,500 +45%
Population 47,055 −5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MASON CITY VS
Cornelia
Income $67,309 −3%
Home value $238,300 +46%
Population 50,416 +1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Mason City, IA? Mason City, IA has about 49,982 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Mason City, IA? The typical household in Mason City, IA earns about $69,633 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Mason City, IA expensive? In Mason City, IA, the median home is worth about $163,371, and the typical rent is about $836 a month.
How educated are people in Mason City, IA? About 23.3% of adults age 25 and over in Mason City, IA hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Mason City, IA? About 10.2% of people in Mason City, IA live below the federal poverty line.
Has Mason City, IA grown since 1990? Yes, Mason City, IA has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 4,742 residents, a change of about -9 percent over that period.
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