City profile · Nebraska · Census ACS 2023

Mason City, NE

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Mason City - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

175
Residents
$49,917
Median income
$175,700
Median home
$961
Median rent (state)

Mason City - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Mason City lands in the 19th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

19th
percentile, household income
35th
percentile, home value
11th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Mason City, NE

Mason City is a small town in Nebraska, home to 175 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Mason City brings in $49,917 a year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 22.2%. Home values in Mason City run a median of $175,700, and the median resident age is 27.8 years. 44.4% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 56.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 49.5°F with 26.3 inches of precipitation per year and 25.9 inches of snowfall.

Living costs in Nebraska run below the national norm: the state registers 90.1 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Well Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $961 per month. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Nebraska's average monthly utility costs around $207 (state average). Commute times here average 20.3 minutes, with 98.8% driving alone and 1.3% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 22.4 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very Low).

Population

175 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Nebraska

Median Household Income

$49,917 /yr

Poverty 22.2%

Cost of Living Index (state)

90.1 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Nebraska average

How does Mason City compare to other US cities?

Where Mason City sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 19% higher than other cities
Home value 35% pricier than other cities
Median rent 11% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Mason City against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Nebraska only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Nebraska-relative analysis

Median Gross Rent places Mason City near the bottom of Nebraska's cities

Among the 450 Nebraska cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Mason City ranks #184 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Mason City only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#369 of 439
16th percentile in Nebraska
Median Gross Rent
#184 of 450
0th percentile in Nebraska
Median Home Value
#87 of 438
80th percentile in Nebraska
Poverty Rate
#16 of 450
96th percentile in Nebraska
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#10 of 450
98th percentile in Nebraska

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Nebraska only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

19thIncome percentile

19th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Mason City's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$175,700 Among the most affordable more affordable than 65% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). This entry sits in this band. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Mason City $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Mason City, NE Mason City, NE's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Mason City, NE-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Mason City, NE median $49,917/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Mason City, NE's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Mason City, NE. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 44.4%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 22.2%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 56.4%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
175
Median Income
$49,917
Median Home Value
$175,700
Median Age
27.8
Poverty Rate
22.2%
Labor force participation
56.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
44.4%

Climate

Avg Temperature
49.5°F
Annual Precipitation
26.3"
Annual Snowfall
25.9"

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
146 residents147 residents148 residents149 residents150 residents 202020212022202320242025 147 residents 149 residents ▲ +1.4%
Mason City's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
20.3 minutes
Drive Alone
98.8%
Carpool
0.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
1.3%

Based on 80 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Nebraska - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$100
avg/month
Natural Gas
$65
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$42
avg/month
Total Utilities
$207
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Nebraska state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Nebraska state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Mason City sits in

Cost of Living Index
90.1
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$961/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
22.4 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Nebraska

Bladen
174 people
Cheney
174 people
Bushnell
177 people
Ruskin
177 people
Daykin
172 people
Roca
172 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Mason City's 175 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Mormon Lake, AZ
175 people
Tupman, CA
175 people
Vona, CO
175 people
Holcomb, IL
175 people
Clifford, IN
175 people
Grantsburg, IN
175 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Mason City's $49,917 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Heber Springs, AR
$49,917 median income
Buda, IL
$49,922 median income
Grove City, MN
$49,922 median income
Blytheville, AR
$49,928 median income
Brackenridge, PA
$49,929 median income
Karthaus, PA
$49,904 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Mason City, NE Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Mason City, NE - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 97.7% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 0.0% White 97.7% Black or African American 0.6% Asian 0.0% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.0% Two or more races 1.7% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Mason City compares to nearby Nebraska cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Mason City (this city) 175 $49,917
Bladen 174 $63,194
Cheney 174 $101,932
Bushnell 177 $37,917
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NE NOAA Normals OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Mason City, NE?

What is the population of Mason City, NE? +

Mason City, NE counts 175 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Mason City, NE? +

The median household income in Mason City is $49,917 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Mason City? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Mason City; the closest available measure is the Nebraska state average, a cost of living index of 90.1 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Nebraska vary by metro area.

What is the median home value in Mason City, NE? +

A typical home in Mason City is worth $175,700, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Mason City? +

Climate normals put Mason City's yearly average temperature at 49.5°F, 26.3 inches of precipitation, and 25.9 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.