Altoona receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Newton
Altoona
Opportunity
70 · Top 23%
vs80 · Top 8%
Growth
70 · Top 16%
vs78 · Top 7%
Climate
58 · Bottom 9%
vs58 · Bottom 9%
Physical resilience
68 · Top 39%
vs89 · Top 12%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs98 · Top 13%
Schools
44 · Bottom 40%
vs62 · Top 36%
Access
82 · Bottom 24%
vs95 · Top 35%
Economic stability
53 · Bottom 37%
vs73 · Top 21%
Measured values
| Metric | Newton | Altoona | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,700 | 21,495 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $57,771 | $86,114 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,732 | $42,593 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,395/sq mi | 1,615/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $153,700 | $274,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $819 | $1,235 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 61.5% | 68.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 3.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.5% | 0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.5% | 33.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.1% | 8.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 68 | 191 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.3 | 8.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 161.5% | 7.3% | 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 | 34 mi | 12 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.7 min | 24.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 42.6 | 36.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.75 | 14.69 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 63.0% | 75.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 64.2% | 70.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 49.9% | 43.2% | 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
Newton
Elevated or high exposure: drought, tornado, cold wave.
Altoona
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, tornado.
Full profiles: Newton, IA · Altoona, IA · How this is calculated: methodology