Coralville receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Coralville
Iowa City
Opportunity
85 · Top 3%
vs81 · Top 6%
Growth
89 · Top 1%
vs53 · Top 45%
Climate
59 · Bottom 12%
vs59 · Bottom 12%
Physical resilience
56 · Bottom 48%
vs56 · Bottom 48%
Housing affordability
84 · Top 44%
vs69 · Bottom 32%
Schools
54 · Top 47%
vs42 · Bottom 38%
Access
94 · Top 41%
vs92 · Bottom 49%
Economic stability
62 · Top 48%
vs46 · Bottom 26%
Measured values
| Metric | Coralville | Iowa City | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 23,234 | 75,752 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $69,144 | $58,546 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $47,041 | $37,842 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,834/sq mi | 2,940/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $298,500 | $285,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,057 | $1,094 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 55.9% | 47.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.8% | 2.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.9% | 0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 56.0% | 60.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.0% | 26.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 541 | 155 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 23.3 | 2.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 278.3% | 0.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 86°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 15°F | 15°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 35.7" | 35.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 14 mi | 18 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.1 min | 18.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.0 | 26.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 16 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.62 | 13.80 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 65.0% | 59.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 68.9% | 62.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 42.9% | 47.5% | 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
Coralville
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, tornado, hail.
Iowa City
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, tornado, hail.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Coralville
73
Your Score
73
Area Score
Iowa City
62
Your Score
63
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Coralville, IA · Iowa City, IA · How this is calculated: methodology