Altoona receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Altoona
Indianola
Opportunity
80 · Top 8%
vs80 · Top 7%
Growth
78 · Top 7%
vs77 · Top 8%
Climate
58 · Bottom 9%
vs59 · Bottom 10%
Physical resilience
89 · Top 12%
vs74 · Top 32%
Housing affordability
98 · Top 13%
vs98 · Top 12%
Schools
62 · Top 36%
vs67 · Top 31%
Access
95 · Top 35%
vs89 · Bottom 38%
Economic stability
73 · Top 21%
vs69 · Top 32%
Measured values
| Metric | Altoona | Indianola | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 21,495 | 16,044 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $86,114 | $75,453 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,593 | $36,086 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,615/sq mi | 1,403/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $274,600 | $237,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,235 | $986 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 68.7% | 69.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.3% | 2.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.3% | 0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33.5% | 35.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.3% | 6.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 191 | 104 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 8.9 | 6.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 7.3% | 108.0% | 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" | 36.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 12 mi | 13 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.4 min | 23.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.1 | 35.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.69 | 15.31 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 75.4% | 78.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 70.0% | 70.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 43.2% | 27.1% | 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
Altoona
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, tornado.
Indianola
Elevated or high exposure: drought, tornado, heat wave.
Full profiles: Altoona, IA · Indianola, IA · How this is calculated: methodology