Population 2,591 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Mason City
Household size in Mason City
| Period | Mason City | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.26 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.21 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.21 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.17 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.10 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Mason City is a place of small households, averaging 2.17 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.26, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Mason City
| Period | Mason City | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.1 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.1 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 46.5 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 47.1 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +9.0 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 47.1, Mason City is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Mason City
| Period | Mason City | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.6% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.6% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.6% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.3% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −10.3 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Mason City: 8.3% of households, against 11.6% nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Mason City
Renters in Mason City
| Period | Mason City | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.9% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 27.1% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.1% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 20.1% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | −5.8 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 20.1% of households in Mason City rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About half of owners (49.3%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Mason City
| Period | Mason City | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.8% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.7% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.2% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.8% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +7.0 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs a little high in Mason City: 11.8% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Mason City
| Period | Mason City | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1957 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1954 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1953 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1948 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | −8 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Mason City is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1948, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Mason City
| Period | Mason City | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $515 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $566 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $566 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $756 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$241 | +$475 | +$606 |
Rent in Mason City runs $756 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 39.6% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Mason City
Bachelor's degrees in Mason City
| Period | Mason City | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.1% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.0% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.5% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 22.7% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.6 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Mason City have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 22.7%, against 35.6% nationally.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Mason City
| Period | Mason City | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.3% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 87.7% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.1% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.3% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.0 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Mason City have finished high school (91.3%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. The picture is much the same across Illinois.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Mason City
| Period | Mason City | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.5% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.7% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.5% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.9% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.6 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in Mason City than nationally: unemployment was 3.9%, against 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Mason City compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mason City | 2.17 | 47.1 | 8.3% | 20.1% | 11.8% | 1948 | $756 | 22.7% | 91.3% | 3.9% |
| Teheran | 2.78 | 37.1 | 16.2% | 8.5% | 6.7% | 1967 | $745 | 20.0% | 98.8% | 1.5% |
| Hubly | 2.67 | 43.1 | 11.0% | 8.1% | 8.2% | 1966 | $621 | 25.9% | 96.8% | 1.2% |
| Natrona | 2.67 | 36.9 | 11.2% | 14.7% | 12.8% | 1939 | $856 | 22.8% | 96.9% | 16.1% |
| New Holland | 2.74 | 36.6 | 10.9% | 15.7% | 11.8% | 1943 | $885 | 27.4% | 98.0% | 16.3% |
| San Jose | 2.43 | 41.8 | 10.7% | 20.5% | 12.5% | 1947 | $875 | 19.4% | 94.6% | 8.1% |
| Greenview | 2.35 | 44.9 | 10.6% | 15.0% | 7.3% | 1965 | $748 | 20.4% | 94.8% | 1.5% |
| Easton | 2.14 | 47.4 | 4.6% | 14.0% | 7.1% | 1939 | $686 | 12.5% | 95.7% | 13.7% |
| Middletown | 2.75 | 40.6 | 3.2% | 11.7% | 15.7% | 1971 | $724 | 36.6% | 94.9% | 1.9% |
| Sweet Water | 2.53 | 47.6 | 10.8% | 7.1% | 4.9% | 1965 | $567 | 23.9% | 95.8% | 2.0% |
| Emden | 2.01 | 48.9 | 2.8% | 27.4% | 1.4% | 1951 | $941 | 22.9% | 97.8% | 10.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Tracy, MN · Hager City, WI · Hayfield, MN · Lauderdale, MS · Reedsville, WV · Russell, PA · Siletz, OR · Taft, OK · Talihina, OK · Morristown, AZ
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Mason City. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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