Cedar Falls receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Cedar Falls
Waterloo
Opportunity
54 · Bottom 46%
vs24 · Bottom 3%
Growth
40 · Bottom 32%
vs61 · Top 31%
Climate
56 · Bottom 7%
vs56 · Bottom 7%
Physical resilience
75 · Top 31%
vs80 · Top 24%
Housing affordability
94 · Top 23%
vs97 · Top 15%
Schools
73 · Top 22%
vs26 · Bottom 18%
Access
98 · Top 19%
vs98 · Top 19%
Economic stability
58 · Bottom 46%
vs50 · Bottom 32%
Measured values
| Metric | Cedar Falls | Waterloo | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 40,888 | 67,008 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $76,987 | $57,480 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $41,428 | $32,837 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,388/sq mi | 1,088/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $263,600 | $152,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,203 | $923 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 64.0% | 62.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.3% | 5.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.4% | -3.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 50.4% | 21.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 15.7% | 16.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 88 | 349 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 5.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -17.0% | 98.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 11°F | 11°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 36.3" | 36.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 4 mi | 5 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 15.5 min | 17.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 29.3 | 36.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 16 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.28 | 13.99 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 75.4% | 51.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 77.7% | 51.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 24.4% | 71.3% | 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
Cedar Falls
Elevated or high exposure: drought, tornado, cold wave.
Waterloo
Elevated or high exposure: drought, tornado, cold wave.
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
Waterloo
62
Your Score
57
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Cedar Falls, IA · Waterloo, IA · How this is calculated: methodology