Signals
Waverly
Waterloo
Opportunity
50 · Bottom 38%
vs24 · Bottom 3%
Climate
56 · Bottom 7%
vs56 · Bottom 7%
Physical resilience
57 · Bottom 49%
vs80 · Top 24%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs97 · Top 15%
Schools
81 · Top 13%
vs26 · Bottom 18%
Access
96 · Top 33%
vs98 · Top 19%
Economic stability
60 · Top 50%
vs50 · Bottom 32%
Measured values
| Metric | Waverly | Waterloo | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,494 | 67,008 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $80,284 | $57,480 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $43,064 | $32,837 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 932/sq mi | 1,088/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $223,300 | $152,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,057 | $923 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.0% | 62.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 5.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.9% | -3.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 44.1% | 21.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 10.9% | 16.6% | 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 | 12 mi | 5 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 18.7 min | 17.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.8 | 36.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 4 | 16 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.78 | 13.99 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 80.8% | 51.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 75.1% | 51.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 21.8% | 71.3% | 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
Waverly
Elevated or high exposure: drought, cold wave.
Waterloo
Elevated or high exposure: drought, tornado, cold wave.
Full profiles: Waverly, IA · Waterloo, IA · How this is calculated: methodology