Population

Iowa City

75,264

Bloomington

78,791

Median Income

Iowa City

$57,533

Bloomington

$48,918

Home Value

Iowa City

$273,600

Bloomington

$289,700

Rent

Iowa City

$1,094

Bloomington

$1,160

Crime Rate

Iowa City

3.21

Bloomington

2.87

Cost of Living

Iowa City

107.8

Bloomington

100.1

Avg Temp

Iowa City

N/A

Bloomington

N/A

Unemployment

Iowa City

4.2%

Bloomington

6.2%

Loading map…

How Similar Are Iowa City & Bloomington?

Bloomington is Iowa City's #4 most similar city

5/10

5 of 10 key metrics match within 10%

Population

👥

Iowa City

75,264

vs

Bloomington

78,791

Match · 4% difference

Both cities have similar populations — Iowa City at 75,264 and Bloomington at 78,791.

Violent Crime

Iowa City

3.21

vs

Bloomington

2.87

Different · 11% difference
🚨

Iowa City has a 11% higher violent crime than Bloomington.

Property Crime

🔒

Iowa City

16.74

vs

Bloomington

27.18

Different · 38% difference

Bloomington has a 38% higher property crime than Iowa City.

Political Leaning

Iowa City

30.3%

vs

Bloomington

35.5%

Different · 15% difference
🗳️

Both cities lean Democratic, but Bloomington has a stronger Democratic lean (15% difference).

Unemployment

💼

Iowa City

4.2%

vs

Bloomington

6.2%

Different · 32% difference

Bloomington has a 32% higher unemployment than Iowa City.

Median Income

Iowa City

$57,533

vs

Bloomington

$48,918

Different · 15% difference
💰

Iowa City has a 15% higher median income than Bloomington.

Home Values

🏠

Iowa City

$273,600

vs

Bloomington

$289,700

Match · 6% difference

Both cities have similar home values — just a 6% difference.

Education

Iowa City

31.7%

vs

Bloomington

29.9%

Match · 6% difference
🎓

Both cities have similar education — just a 6% difference.

Demographics

🌍

Iowa City

75.1%

vs

Bloomington

77.8%

Match · 3% difference

Both cities have similar demographics — just a 3% difference.

Cost of Living

Iowa City

107.8

vs

Bloomington

100.1

Match · 7% difference
💵

Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 7% difference.

5 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Iowa City and Bloomington share several key characteristics.

At a Glance

0

Iowa City

vsof 8

0

Bloomington

Iowa City leads in 4 of 8 categories

Cost of Living & Affordability — Bloomington leads

Source: City Stats Index / HUD

Bloomington scores 68.0 on the transportation index (100 = national avg) vs 78.2 in Iowa City. Iowa City has a fair market rent (1br) of $961 vs $1,072 in Bloomington (10% lower). Bloomington scores 100.1 on the overall cost index (100 = national avg) vs 107.8 in Iowa City.

Overall Cost Index

Iowa City107.8
Bloomington100.1

Housing Index

Iowa City139.6
Bloomington133.5

Food Index

Iowa City94.0
Bloomington87.4

Transportation Index

Iowa City78.2
Bloomington68.0

Healthcare Index

Iowa City95.2
Bloomington89.9

Utilities Index

Iowa City104.3
Bloomington99.1

Living Wage (1 Adult)

Iowa City$47,436
Bloomington$44,066

Living Wage (Family of 4)

Iowa City$112,122
Bloomington$104,155

Fair Market Rent (1BR)

Iowa City$961
Bloomington$1,072

Fair Market Rent (2BR)

Iowa City$1,141
Bloomington$1,210

Housing Market — Iowa City leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Bloomington has a median property tax of $2,370 vs $4,765 in Iowa City (101% lower). Iowa City has a owner-occupied of 46.3% compared to 35.1% in Bloomington. Iowa City has a vacancy rate of 9.1% compared to 11.1% in Bloomington.

Median Home Value

Iowa City$273,600
Bloomington$289,700

Median Rent

Iowa City$1,094
Bloomington$1,160

Median Property Tax

Iowa City$4,765
Bloomington$2,370

Owner-Occupied

Iowa City46.3%
Bloomington35.1%

Vacancy Rate

Iowa City9.1%
Bloomington11.1%

Single-Family Homes

Iowa City49.8%
Bloomington44.6%

Jobs & Economy — Iowa City leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Bloomington has a work from home of 16.9% compared to 11.2% in Iowa City. Iowa City has a unemployment rate of 4.2% compared to 6.2% in Bloomington. Iowa City has a median household income of $57,533 vs $48,918 in Bloomington (18% higher).

Median Household Income

Iowa City$57,533
Bloomington$48,918

Per Capita Income

Iowa City$37,123
Bloomington$32,643

Poverty Rate

Iowa City26.3%
Bloomington30.5%

Unemployment Rate

Iowa City4.2%
Bloomington6.2%

Labor Force

Iowa City45,100
Bloomington41,798

Mean Commute

Iowa City16 min
Bloomington14 min

Work from Home

Iowa City11.2%
Bloomington16.9%

Private Sector

Iowa City78.0%
Bloomington82.0%

Government Sector

Iowa City31.9%
Bloomington36.5%

Crime & Safety — Iowa City leads

Source: FBI UCR

Iowa City has a murder rate (per 1k) of 0.00 compared to 0.04 in Bloomington. Iowa City has a larceny rate (per 1k) of 13.89 compared to 23.26 in Bloomington. Iowa City has a property crime rate (per 1k) of 16.74 compared to 27.18 in Bloomington.

Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)

Iowa City3.21
Bloomington2.87

Property Crime Rate (per 1K)

Iowa City16.74
Bloomington27.18

Murder Rate (per 1K)

Iowa City0.00
Bloomington0.04

Robbery Rate (per 1K)

Iowa City0.50
Bloomington0.56

Assault Rate (per 1K)

Iowa City2.17
Bloomington1.66

Burglary Rate (per 1K)

Iowa City1.57
Bloomington2.26

Larceny Rate (per 1K)

Iowa City13.89
Bloomington23.26

Violent Crime Clearance

Iowa City52.0%
Bloomington47.3%

Property Crime Clearance

Iowa City21.9%
Bloomington16.6%

Weather & Climate

Source: NOAA / Open-Meteo

Avg Annual Temperature

Iowa CityN/A
BloomingtonN/A

Avg Annual High

Iowa CityN/A
BloomingtonN/A

Avg Annual Low

Iowa CityN/A
BloomingtonN/A

Sunny Days per Year

Iowa CityN/A
BloomingtonN/A

Annual Rainfall

Iowa CityN/A
BloomingtonN/A

Annual Snowfall

Iowa CityN/A
BloomingtonN/A

Avg Humidity

Iowa CityN/A
BloomingtonN/A

Schools & Education — Iowa City leads

Source: NCES / U.S. Census Bureau

Iowa City has a bachelor's degree or higher of 31.7% compared to 29.9% in Bloomington. Iowa City has a high school diploma or higher of 38.9% compared to 38.1% in Bloomington.

Public Schools

Iowa City0
Bloomington0

Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

Iowa CityN/A
BloomingtonN/A

Colleges & Universities

Iowa City0
Bloomington0

Bachelor's Degree or Higher

Iowa City31.7%
Bloomington29.9%

High School Diploma or Higher

Iowa City38.9%
Bloomington38.1%

Demographics & Community

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Bloomington has a population of 78,791, about 1x the size of Iowa City (75,264). Bloomington skews younger with a median age of 24.9 vs 26.3.

Population

Iowa City75,264
Bloomington78,791

Median Age

Iowa City26
Bloomington25

Avg Household Size

Iowa City2.2
Bloomington1.9

Married Population

Iowa City28.9%
Bloomington23.1%

Foreign Born

Iowa City12.2%
Bloomington12.3%

White

Iowa City75.1%
Bloomington77.8%

Black

Iowa City8.4%
Bloomington4.8%

Hispanic

Iowa City8.1%
Bloomington5.6%

Asian

Iowa City6.8%
Bloomington10.5%

Iowa City

Bloomington

Healthcare

Source: CMS Hospital Compare

Iowa City: 5 vs Bloomington: 4 for with emergency services. Bloomington: 4.0 vs Iowa City: 3.6 for avg cms rating (out of 5).

Nearby Hospitals

Iowa City5
Bloomington5

Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)

Iowa City3.6
Bloomington4.0

With Emergency Services

Iowa City5
Bloomington4

Transportation & Commute — Bloomington leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Iowa City has a public transit of 6.7% compared to 3.7% in Bloomington. Iowa City has a bicycle of 3.1% compared to 2.0% in Bloomington. Bloomington has a work from home of 16.9% compared to 11.2% in Iowa City.

Mean Commute Time

Iowa City16 min
Bloomington14 min

Drive Alone

Iowa City56.0%
Bloomington56.5%

Public Transit

Iowa City6.7%
Bloomington3.7%

Bicycle

Iowa City3.1%
Bloomington2.0%

Work from Home

Iowa City11.2%
Bloomington16.9%

Airports

Iowa City0
Bloomington0

Cities Similar to Iowa City, IA

Compare Iowa City against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.

🧬

City Comparison

8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.

PopulationIncomeHome ValueSafetyEducationMedian AgeClimateCost of Living

Explore These Cities

Compare Different Cities