Signals
Waterloo
Waverly
Opportunity
24 · Bottom 3%
vs50 · Bottom 38%
Climate
56 · Bottom 7%
vs56 · Bottom 7%
Physical resilience
80 · Top 24%
vs57 · Bottom 49%
Housing affordability
97 · Top 15%
vs100 · Top 8%
Schools
26 · Bottom 18%
vs81 · Top 13%
Access
98 · Top 19%
vs96 · Top 33%
Economic stability
50 · Bottom 32%
vs60 · Top 50%
Measured values
| Metric | Waterloo | Waverly | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 67,008 | 10,494 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $57,480 | $80,284 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $32,837 | $43,064 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,088/sq mi | 932/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $152,600 | $223,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $923 | $1,057 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 62.1% | 69.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% | 3.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.4% | -2.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.8% | 44.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 16.6% | 10.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| 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 | 5 mi | 12 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 17.4 min | 18.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.7 | 32.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 16 | 4 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.99 | 14.78 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 51.1% | 80.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 51.2% | 75.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 71.3% | 21.8% | 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
Waterloo
Elevated or high exposure: drought, tornado, cold wave.
Waverly
Elevated or high exposure: drought, cold wave.
Full profiles: Waterloo, IA · Waverly, IA · How this is calculated: methodology