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Compare towns

Carson vs Colo

121 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (2.4× in Carson).

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Carson, IAA small town of 834Iowa · 834 people
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Colo, IAA small town of 686Iowa · 686 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

CarsonA small town of 834
Quiet strengthsCarson doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Carson →
ColoA small town of 686
Quiet strengthsColo doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Colo →
The biggest differences

Where they differ most

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Street grid2.4×
Carson has the more walkable street grid
Carson 132Colo 55.0
★ What stands out · Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Iowa ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Schools
C+CarsonBetter than 43% of districts in the state BColoBetter than 55% of districts in the state
Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Carson$1,680/mo
Typical home $261K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.42% · or rent about $744/mo · Housing →
Colo$1,750/mo
Typical home $269K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.52% · or rent about $950/mo · Housing →

The difference: $70 a month, about $800 a year, between Colo and Carson.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
CarsonColo
Snow a year28″31″
January low12°F10°F
July high85°F83°F
Growing season (days)174d170d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)56th48th
Outdoors & history
CarsonColo
Trails0 mi0 mi
Conserved land0%0%
Settled18811876
Archive photos—7
Famous people born here—2
Community
CarsonColo
Library hours a week—44 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

121 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

CarsonIAColoIA
Carson ↔ Colo121 miles apart
Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

CarsonColo
People
Population 834Highest 686Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -5.7%Lowest IA: +4.7% -3.5%Highest IA: +4.7%
Median age 41.8±6.5Lowest 8% above IA 42.2±6.5Highest 9% above IA
Colo and Carson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 23.9%±4Highest IA: 22.9% 18.1%±4.4Lowest IA: 22.9%
Carson and Colo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 23.1%±3.2Highest IA: 18.1% 21.1%±4Lowest IA: 18.1%
Carson and Colo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 23.8%Highest IA: 31.4% 19%Lowest IA: 31.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.5%±2.3Lowest IA: 6.2% 4.2%±2.5Highest IA: 6.2%
Colo and Carson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $73,403±$11kHighest about the IA average $64,000±$26kLowest 15% below IA
Carson and Colo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $181,400±$14kHighest 13% below IA $152,000±$22kLowest 27% below IA
Carson and Colo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $744±$190Lowest 23% below IA $950±$242Highest about the IA average
Colo and Carson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,575Highest 11% below IA $2,310Lowest 20% below IA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 36.2%±34.8Lowest IA: 43.9% 49%±18.4Highest IA: 43.9%
Colo and Carson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 8.3%Highest IA: 11.1% 6.4%Lowest IA: 11.1%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 82.8%Lowest IA: 71.7% 83.3%Highest IA: 71.7%
Typical home builtmedian year 1963Highest 9 yrs older than IA 1959Lowest 13 yrs older than IA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 32 minHighest 60% above IA 30 minLowest 52% above IA
Work from home 9%±3.5Lowest IA: 11.3% 10.1%±5Highest IA: 11.3%
Colo and Carson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 2.4%Highest 1.7%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 23.8 miHighest 23.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.23Lowest 0.29Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Council Bluffs (21%)Ames (22%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ColoFew work in Carson
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 mi 0.0 mi
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1 1
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 132Highest 55.0Lowest
Schools
School district Riverside Comm School DistrictColo-NESCO Comm School District
High school in town None in townColo-NESCO Middle/High School
Students per teacherat that high school — 10.8
Iowa average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Carson neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Carson’s Town Square.

Colo neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Colo’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Carson

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Riverside890 people · $184K homes
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Jewell Junction1,084 people · $148K homes
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Woodward977 people · $180K homes
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Marcus1,180 people · $200K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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