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
Newton
Opportunity
80 · Top 8%
vs70 · Top 23%
Growth
78 · Top 7%
vs70 · Top 16%
Climate
58 · Bottom 9%
vs58 · Bottom 9%
Physical resilience
89 · Top 12%
vs68 · Top 39%
Housing affordability
98 · Top 13%
vs100 · Top 8%
Schools
62 · Top 36%
vs44 · Bottom 40%
Access
95 · Top 35%
vs82 · Bottom 24%
Economic stability
73 · Top 21%
vs53 · Bottom 37%
Measured values
| Metric | Altoona | Newton | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 21,495 | 15,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $86,114 | $57,771 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,593 | $34,732 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,615/sq mi | 1,395/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $274,600 | $153,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,235 | $819 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 68.7% | 61.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.3% | 3.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.3% | 0.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33.5% | 19.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.3% | 11.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 191 | 68 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 8.9 | 4.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 7.3% | 161.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 13°F | 13°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 36.6" | 36.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 12 mi | 34 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.4 min | 23.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.1 | 42.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.69 | 14.75 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 75.4% | 63.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 70.0% | 64.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 43.2% | 49.9% | 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.
Newton
Elevated or high exposure: drought, tornado, cold wave.
Full profiles: Altoona, IA · Newton, IA · How this is calculated: methodology