52577 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
50208
52577
Opportunity
67 · Top 25%
vs76 · Top 12%
Growth
69 · Top 17%
vs68 · Top 17%
Climate
58 · Bottom 9%
vs59 · Bottom 10%
Physical resilience
68 · Top 39%
vs70 · Top 35%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 9%
vs100 · Top 9%
Schools
53 · Top 49%
vs62 · Top 36%
Access
81 · Bottom 23%
vs68 · Bottom 11%
Economic stability
50 · Bottom 33%
vs47 · Bottom 29%
Measured values
| Metric | 50208 | 52577 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,595 | 14,585 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $62,306 | $66,084 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $35,815 | $36,047 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 130/sq mi | 92/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $168,900 | $163,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $833 | $825 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 65.5% | 66.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 2.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.5% | 0.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.9% | 26.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 10.0% | 15.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 68 | 63 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.3 | 5.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 161.5% | 16.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 86°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 13°F | 14°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 36.6" | 37.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 34 mi | 55 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.3 min | 17.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 42.7 | 39.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 4 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.75 | 13.47 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 63.0% | 67.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 64.2% | 66.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 49.9% | 41.2% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
50208
Elevated or high exposure: drought, tornado, cold wave.
52577
Elevated or high exposure: heat wave, tornado, cold wave.
Full profiles: 50208 — Newton, IA · 52577 — Oskaloosa, IA · How this is calculated: methodology