Iowa City and Lincoln 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
Iowa City
Lincoln
Opportunity
90 · Top 1%
vs85 · Top 4%
Growth
84 · Top 3%
vs67 · Top 23%
Climate
59 · Bottom 22%
vs57 · Bottom 18%
Physical resilience
57 · Top 48%
vs73 · Top 24%
Housing affordability
90 · Bottom 36%
vs93 · Bottom 45%
Access
87 · Top 30%
vs95 · Top 17%
Economic stability
67 · Top 29%
vs86 · Top 7%
Measured values
| Metric | Iowa City | Lincoln | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 179,200 | 344,337 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $75,088 | $75,049 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $44,369 | $40,917 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 152/sq mi | 244/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $293,600 | $273,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,097 | $1,082 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 61.2% | 59.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.7% | 2.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.9% | 0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 51.1% | 41.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 15.9% | 11.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,374 | 2,088 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 7.7 | 6.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 21.9% | -13.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 89°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 15°F | 14°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 35.7" | 29.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 26 mi | 6 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.1 min | 20.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.1 | 34.5 | 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
Iowa City
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hail, tornado.
Lincoln
Elevated or high exposure: hail, strong wind, tornado.
Full profiles: Iowa City, IA Metro Area · Lincoln, NE Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology