Waterloo, IA: Local News, Events & Neighbors

Waterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. It is the eighth-most populous city in Iowa, with a population of 67,314 at the 2020 census. Waterloo comprises a twin conurbation with neighboring municipality Cedar Falls, and is the larger of the two cities. The Waterloo – Cedar Falls metropolitan area has an estimated 170,000 residents. Waterloo is bisected into eastern and western halves by the Cedar River flowing southeastward. Waterloo is a major manufacturing, commercial, and cultural center in Northeast Iowa. John Deere, a brand renowned for its tractors, engines, and other agricultural machinery, has been manufacturing its products in the city for…

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How Waterloo ranks

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#22Closest to a top hospital in IA #33Most conserved land in IA #41Shortest commute in IA All IA rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code50701, 50702, 50703

Area code319

Living in Waterloo

Housing in Waterloo

$148K≈ same as a year ago Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Waterloo home is worth about $148,000, about the same as a year ago, 38% below the Iowa typical home.

A strong seller's market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s

Days on market11

Sale-to-list98.4%

Sold in May84

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Waterloo

D

Safety Grade D

Waterloo reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 86% report less.

Violent crime per 1,000

Waterloo 4.7

Iowa 2.4

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Waterloo 25.4

Iowa 12

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Health in Waterloo

C

Health Grade C

Healthier than 27% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates, and 47% of towns with similar incomes.

Compared with Iowa

1better than IA·15worse

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 16 are too close to call.

Conditions 1▲ 6▼ 5 close Habits 2▼ 2 close Care 2▼ 5 close Mind 1▼ 4 close Everyday needs 4▼ 0 close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

7.8%Fewer adults who have had cancerIA 8.7% · better 9.7%More adults facing a utility shut-offIA 6.4% · worse

Care nearby

Mercyone Waterloo Medical CenterWaterloo · 2 mi · ER

Peoples Community Health ClinicWaterloo · 1.2 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careShortage · county-wide

DentalShortage · county-wide

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Waterloo · CMS · HRSAHealth in Waterloo →

Schools in Waterloo

All Waterloo schools →

D

School Grade D

The public schools Waterloo’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 94% of Iowa’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.

See how Waterloo’s schools compare in IA →

DistrictWaterloo Comm School DistrictSchools22

Kittrell Elementary School C-Elementary · Grades PK–5 · 576 students Lowell Elementary School DElementary · Grades PK–5 · 538 students Orange Elementary School B-Elementary · Grades PK–5 · 518 students Fred Becker Elementary School C-Elementary · Grades PK–5 · 501 students Lincoln Elementary School DElementary · Grades PK–5 · 463 students Lou Henry Elementary School C-Elementary · Grades K–5 · 460 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within IA. Ratings are from neighbors.

Famous people from WaterlooWriters, athletes, leaders and more who were born in Waterloo.Meet them →