Cedar Falls and Beach Park receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Cedar Falls
Beach Park
Opportunity
54 · Bottom 46%
vs51 · Bottom 39%
Growth
40 · Bottom 32%
vs37 · Bottom 27%
Climate
56 · Bottom 7%
vs60 · Bottom 15%
Physical resilience
75 · Top 31%
vs80 · Top 23%
Housing affordability
94 · Top 23%
vs100 · Top 8%
Access
98 · Top 19%
vs84 · Bottom 28%
Economic stability
58 · Bottom 46%
vs64 · Top 41%
Measured values
| Metric | Cedar Falls | Beach Park | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 40,888 | 14,115 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $76,987 | $85,664 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $41,428 | $34,156 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,388/sq mi | 1,995/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $263,600 | $245,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,203 | $1,254 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 64.0% | 86.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.3% | 4.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.4% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 50.4% | 19.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 15.7% | 8.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 88 | 2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 0.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -17.0% | 100.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 81°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 11°F | 16°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 36.3" | 35.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 4 mi | 32 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 15.5 min | 30.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 29.3 | 43.7 | 2024 ACS 5-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
Cedar Falls
Elevated or high exposure: drought, tornado, cold wave.
Beach Park
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Cedar Falls
69
Your Score
66
Area Score
Beach Park
68
Your Score
66
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Cedar Falls, IA · Beach Park, IL · How this is calculated: methodology