Small-town market profile · Iowa
Mason City, IA area market data
Population, household spending and competition for 56 business types in the Mason City area, each scored against other small-town markets.
- Population, 2025
- 49,710
- −1.5% since 2020
- Households
- 22,716
- Median household income
- $68,926
- +26.7% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Median home value
- $162,900
- Jobs located here
- 24,592
- Highest market score
- 70
- Barbershops, #67 of 377 scored small-town markets
A site report maps the competitors on map listings around any address in the Mason City area by name and distance, and the households and spending within reach. Or open the report at the center of the Mason City area. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
An estimated 49,710 people live in the Mason City area, in 22,716 households. Population estimates put the population change in the Mason City area from 2020 to 2025 at −1.5%, against +3.1% for the U.S. The median household income in the Mason City area is $68,926 a year, 15% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 26.7% from the 2015–2019 survey, before inflation.
Set against the U.S., households in the Mason City area spend the most on vehicle maintenance and repairs (an index of 114, where 100 is the U.S. average) and the least on child care and other personal services (63).
The highest Groundwork market scores in the Mason City area are for barbershops (70), pet grooming and boarding businesses (60) and nail salons (59). The Mason City area ranks #67 of 377 scored small-town markets for barbershops.
The Mason City area takes in 2 counties: Cerro Gordo County and Worth County. For its number of households, the Mason City area has the most map listings, relative to the U.S., for primary care and pediatric clinics (2.1 times the U.S. rate) and the fewest for real estate businesses (51% below the U.S. rate).
All 56 business types in the Mason City area
Highest Groundwork market score first. Each score compares the Mason City area with other small-town markets for that business type, from 0 to 100. Spending per listing divides a whole spending line (all vehicle repairs, all eating out) by one type’s listings: the demand for each competitor, not a business’s revenue. Compare it across markets with its index, where 100 is the U.S. figure for the same type; the real estate types, whose line is all housing costs, show the index only. How the score works.
| Business type | Score | Rank among small-town markets | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Spending per listing vs. U.S. (100) | Official establishments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barbershops | 70 | #67 of 377 | 6 | 2.6 | $3.6M | 190 | Under 3 |
| Pet grooming and boarding | 60 | #122 of 387 | 10 | 4.4 | $1.8M | 71 | 3 |
| Nail salons | 59 | #135 of 387 | 10 | 4.4 | $2.1M | 129 | 3 |
| Fast food and sandwich shops | 57 | #213 of 537 | 29 | 12.8 | $2.9M | 95 | 40 |
| Gas stations | 56 | #203 of 536 | 16 | 7.0 | $4M | 166 | 33 |
| Physical therapy | 55 | #171 of 400 | 11 | 4.8 | $2.8M | 117 | 8 |
| Child care and preschools | 52 | #208 of 454 | 8 | 3.5 | $1M | 104 | 13 |
| Grocery and convenience stores | 52 | #269 of 538 | 52 | 22.9 | $2.6M | 76 | 13 |
| Martial arts and dance studios | 51 | #184 of 378 | 10 | 4.4 | $1.9M | 92 | 4 |
| Optometrists and eye care | 50 | #212 of 400 | 13 | 5.7 | $2.4M | 76 | 4 |
| Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios | 49 | #60 of 112 | 5 | 2.2 | $3.7M | 91 | 8 |
| Veterinarians | 49 | #208 of 398 | 8 | 3.5 | $2.3M | 83 | 8 |
| Pizza | 47 | #291 of 520 | 24 | 10.6 | $3.5M | 69 | 40 |
| Convenience stores | 47 | #311 of 529 | 25 | 11.0 | $5.3M | 68 | Under 3 |
| Primary care and pediatrics | 46 | #270 of 458 | 35 | 15.4 | $882K | 50 | 16 |
| Tire shops | 45 | #259 of 431 | 16 | 7.0 | $1.6M | 62 | 4 |
| Car washes and detailing | 44 | #266 of 441 | 11 | 4.8 | $2.3M | 90 | 6 |
| Funeral homes | 43 | #219 of 365 | 10 | 4.4 | $370K | 55 | 7 |
| Real estate | 43 | #346 of 536 | 43 | 18.9 | Index only | 165 | 28 |
| Clothing, shoes and laundry | 42 | #342 of 536 | 55 | 24.2 | $778K | 88 | 17 |
| Sit-down restaurants | 42 | #345 of 538 | 124 | 54.6 | $676K | 102 | 51 |
| Grocery stores | 41 | #342 of 506 | 17 | 7.5 | $7.8M | 84 | 13 |
| Clothing and shoe stores | 40 | #357 of 536 | 42 | 18.5 | $1M | 80 | 17 |
| Gyms | 39 | #368 of 506 | 19 | 8.4 | $976K | 75 | 8 |
| Restaurants and cafes | 39 | #383 of 538 | 252 | 110.9 | $333K | 90 | 110 |
| Electricians | 38 | #220 of 295 | 9 | 4.0 | $6.6M | 55 | 17 |
| HVAC and plumbing | 38 | #366 of 476 | 21 | 9.2 | $2.8M | 59 | 16 |
| Auto repair shops | 38 | #389 of 538 | 64 | 28.2 | $389K | 87 | 35 |
| Dentists and orthodontists | 37 | #386 of 526 | 28 | 12.3 | $1.1M | 112 | 24 |
| Pet businesses | 37 | #417 of 527 | 35 | 15.4 | $519K | 59 | 11 |
| Collision repair and body shops | 36 | #298 of 387 | 12 | 5.3 | $2.1M | 67 | 8 |
| Auto repair and car care | 36 | #409 of 538 | 114 | 50.2 | $218K | 81 | 45 |
| Coffee shops and cafes | 36 | #417 of 529 | 26 | 11.4 | $3.2M | 87 | 19 |
| Gyms, studios and classes | 35 | #434 of 535 | 34 | 15.0 | $545K | 82 | 12 |
| Chiropractors | 34 | #340 of 426 | 17 | 7.5 | $1.8M | 76 | 14 |
| Real estate agents and brokers | 34 | #465 of 533 | 41 | 18.0 | Index only | 138 | 19 |
| Bakeries and dessert shops | 32 | #434 of 507 | 25 | 11.0 | $3.4M | 81 | 19 |
| Doctors, dentists and clinics | 32 | #440 of 538 | 297 | 130.7 | $104K | 68 | 66 |
| Landscaping and lawn care | 30 | #344 of 399 | 14 | 6.2 | $1.9M | 66 | 23 |
| Spas and skin care | 29 | #456 of 504 | 26 | 11.4 | $827K | 94 | 8 |
| Salons, barbers and spas | 29 | #490 of 538 | 114 | 50.2 | $189K | 89 | 31 |
| Roofing and gutters | 27 | #260 of 288 | 10 | 4.4 | $5.9M | 70 | 12 |
| Home repair trades | 27 | #491 of 526 | 40 | 17.6 | $1.5M | 61 | 45 |
| Hair salons | 25 | #499 of 538 | 71 | 31.3 | $303K | 70 | 20 |
| Lawn, cleaning and pest control | 21 | #466 of 481 | 24 | 10.6 | $1.1M | 67 | 42 |
| House cleaning | 19 | #140 of 142 | 9 | 4.0 | $3M | 47 | 16 |
| Insurance agencies | 17 | #507 of 537 | 42 | 18.5 | $920K | 73 | 34 |
| Pet stores | Not scored | Not scored | 4 | 1.8 | $4.5M | 100 | Under 3 |
| Laundromats | Not scored | Not scored | 3 | 1.3 | $14.3M | 114 | Under 3 |
| Oil change and quick lube | Not scored | Not scored | 2 | 0.9 | $12.4M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Mortgage brokers and lenders | Not scored | Not scored | 1 | 0.4 | Index only | Too few | Under 3 |
| Pest control | Not scored | Not scored | 1 | 0.4 | $26.9M | Too few | 3 |
| Property management | Not scored | Not scored | 1 | 0.4 | Index only | Too few | 4 |
| Dry cleaners | Not scored | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Home inspectors | Not scored | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Urgent care and walk-in clinics | Not scored | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
Household spending in the Mason City area
What households here spend in a year on each line, in total and per household, with the index against the U.S. average (100).
| Spending line | A year, all households | Per household | Index vs. U.S. (100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle maintenance and repairs | $24.9M | $1,096 | 114 |
| Gasoline and other fuels | $63.5M | $2,797 | 108 |
| Food away from home | $83.8M | $3,690 | 91 |
| Groceries | $133.2M | $5,866 | 93 |
| Personal care products and services | $21.5M | $946 | 94 |
| Child care and other personal services | $8.4M | $369 | 63 |
| Memberships, classes and admissions | $18.5M | $816 | 83 |
| Medical and dental services | $30.9M | $1,359 | 105 |
| Pets | $18.2M | $800 | 88 |
| Clothing, shoes and related services | $42.8M | $1,884 | 92 |
| Vehicle insurance | $38.6M | $1,701 | 87 |
| Home repairs, maintenance and insurance | $59.3M | $2,610 | 86 |
| Lawn care, cleaning and other household services | $26.9M | $1,183 | 84 |
| Rent and homeowner costs | $307.7M | $13,546 | 81 |
Household spending is estimated from the incomes of the households in each neighborhood, using what households at each income spent nationally in 2024, adjusted for the region. It counts what residents spend, wherever they spend it.
Population and households in the Mason City area
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 49,710−1.5% since 2020
- Households
- 22,716
- Median age
- 45.5
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 72%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 968 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 52
- Median household income
- $68,926+26.7% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $91,964
- Median home value
- $162,900
- Jobs located here
- 24,592
- Daytime population
- 51,205Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in the Mason City area?
These figures cover the whole small-town market. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the competitors on map listings by name and distance, for any of the 56 business types.
Or open the report at the center of the Mason City area. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardRelated markets
Counties in the Mason City area 2
- Cerro Gordo County, IA42,632 people
- Worth County, IA7,350 people
Other markets based in Iowa 12
- Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area731,120 people
- Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL metro area381,503 people
- Cedar Rapids, IA metro area276,624 people
- Iowa City, IA metro area179,200 people
- Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro area168,637 people
- Sioux City, IA-NE-SD metro area144,682 people
- Ames, IA metro area127,134 people
- Dubuque, IA metro area99,030 people
- Clinton, IA area46,268 people
- Burlington, IA-IL area44,680 people
- Muscatine, IA area42,559 people
- Marshalltown, IA area40,114 people
Questions
How fast is the Mason City, IA area growing?
Population estimates put the Mason City area at 49,710 people in 2025, down 1.5% since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 22,716 households. Against the 2015–2019 survey, median household income rose 26.7%, before inflation.
How much do households in the Mason City, IA area spend?
Households in the Mason City area spend about $307.7M a year on rent and homeowner costs, $133.2M on groceries and $83.8M on food away from home. Relative to the U.S., household spending in the Mason City area runs highest on vehicle maintenance and repairs (an index of 114, where 100 is the U.S. average) and lowest on child care and other personal services (63).
Which business types have the highest market scores in the Mason City, IA area?
Of the business types scored in the Mason City area, barbershops (70), pet grooming and boarding businesses (60) and nail salons (59) have the highest Groundwork market scores. For barbershops, that ranks #67 of 377 scored small-town markets.
How does the Mason City, IA area compare with the U.S.?
Median household income in the Mason City area is $68,926, 15% below the U.S. median of $80,734. The population fell 1.5% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S. The median home value is $162,900, against $332,700 for the U.S. Against the U.S., map listings per household run highest for primary care and pediatric clinics (2.1 times the U.S. rate) and lowest for real estate businesses (51% below the U.S. rate).
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. A small-town market is a town of 10,000 to 50,000 people and the county or counties tied to it by commuting. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. 47 of the 56 business types have a score in the Mason City area, each ranked against other small-town markets.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in the Mason City area. It maps the competitors on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
All markets in Iowa · Every U.S. market · How we measure
Screening a site or an acquisition in the Mason City area?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
The button opens the report at the center of the Mason City area. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.