Oskaloosa receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Newton
Oskaloosa
Opportunity
70 · Top 23%
vs77 · Top 10%
Growth
70 · Top 16%
vs69 · Top 18%
Climate
58 · Bottom 9%
vs59 · Bottom 10%
Physical resilience
68 · Top 39%
vs70 · Top 36%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs100 · Top 8%
Schools
44 · Bottom 40%
vs54 · Top 46%
Access
82 · Bottom 24%
vs68 · Bottom 11%
Economic stability
53 · Bottom 37%
vs46 · Bottom 25%
Measured values
| Metric | Newton | Oskaloosa | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,700 | 11,504 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $57,771 | $64,004 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,732 | $35,751 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,395/sq mi | 1,428/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $153,700 | $153,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $819 | $831 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 61.5% | 60.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 2.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.5% | 0.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.5% | 25.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.1% | 16.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 68 | 63 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.3 | 5.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 161.5% | 16.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 86°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 13°F | 14°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 36.6" | 37.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 34 mi | 56 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.7 min | 17.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 42.6 | 37.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 4 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.75 | 13.47 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 63.0% | 67.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 64.2% | 66.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 49.9% | 41.2% | 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.
Oskaloosa
Elevated or high exposure: heat wave, tornado, cold wave.
Full profiles: Newton, IA · Oskaloosa, IA · How this is calculated: methodology