Waterloo ranks #22 in Iowa for a top hospital nearby
Waterloo is ranked on 40 lists against the 143 Iowa towns with 2,500+ residents. It makes the top 10 on 0 and the top quarter on 2.
The lists Waterloo does best on
Each list ranks every IA town with 2,500+ residents. Tap one to see the whole list with Waterloo marked.
Waterloo lands in the top half on 7 of 26 lists
Each dot is Waterloo’s spot on one list: the left end is #1 in IA, the right end is last. Areas where Waterloo does best come first.
More snow than 90% of Iowa
Not better or worse, just Waterloo’s character, from the lists where neither end is the “good” one. The most distinctive come first.
Waterloo out-ranks 1 of its 2 ranked neighbors
Head to head on the lists where both towns are ranked: a point for each list where one town places higher. Tap a town for its own rankings.
Every IA list, and where Waterloo lands
41 lists from Census, school, health, library, crime, climate and land data. Tap any list to see every town on it.
Health
Healthiest#1 Solon · 95 / 100
#118
Lowest obesity#1 Solon · 29%
#131
Fewest smokers#1 North Liberty · 10%
#128
Most active#1 North Liberty · 15%
#84
Fewest uninsured#1 Robins · 4%
#103
Lowest depression#1 West Liberty · 17%
#60
Closest to a top hospital#1 Spencer · 0.5 mi
#22 Getting around
Shortest commute#1 Storm Lake · 10.1 min
#41 Outdoors
Most conserved land#1 Polk City · 65.8%
#33
Most trails#1 Asbury · 2.5 mi / sq mi
#37
Most walkable#1 Sibley · 100 / sq mi
#96 Cost of living
Most affordable#1 Chariton · 1.1 yrs
#50
Cheapest rent#1 Emmetsburg · $624/mo
#75
Lowest property tax#1 Fort Madison · $1,420/yr
#63
Rent easiest to afford#1 Grimes · 27.9%
#28 
Housing
Vacation-home towns#1 Clear Lake · 18.8%
#51
Most new homes#1 Tiffin · 41.1 per 1,000
#76
Fastest-rising home prices#1 Sibley · +84.5%
#93
Housing hasn't kept up#1 Tama · 11.0 per home
People
Most educated#1 Ames · 65.8%
#95
Youngest#1 Postville · 23.2
#42
Oldest#1 Jefferson · 53.6
#100
Most residents 65+#1 Jefferson · 31.5%
#94
Most kids#1 Postville · 39.6%
#58 
Libraries
Most-used libraries#1 Coralville · 12.9 per resident
#45
Most library borrowing#1 Orange City · 18.6 per resident
#41
Best libraries for kids#1 Ames · 53.4 per child
#43 
The number on the right is Waterloo’s spot. All of Iowa’s rankings, with the map → · National lists and other states: all rankings.
Do the numbers ring true?
The lists count what can be counted. Neighbors know the rest.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
- 2,500+ residents. Census estimates for smaller towns carry margins of error too wide to rank fairly, so they sit out every IA list.
- One town, one row. A city that is both a city and a town in Census data, or a village inside a town, is counted once.
- Ties share a rank. Towns on one weather station, one school district or one CDC estimate share a figure, so they share a spot (T).
- No “worst” lists. Lists rank toward the good end, and share cards are made only for the top half. Age, snow and the like are character, not grades.
U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, 2010 and 2020 censuses, Building Permits Survey), U.S. Department of Education, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, CDC PLACES, Medicare Care Compare, IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FHFA House Price Index, NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. Each list explains its own method.