Mason City is a city located in Cerro Gordo County Iowa. Mason City has a 2024 population of 26,785. It is also the county seat of Cerro Gordo County. Mason City is currently declining at a rate of -0.45% annually and its population has decreased by -1.77% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 27,269 in 2020.
The average household income in Mason City is $75,095 with a poverty rate of 10.55%. The median age in Mason City is 43.1 years: 41.2 years for males, and 45.5 years for females.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Mason City was:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
|---|---|---|
| White | 24,789 | 90.9% |
| Two or more races | 1,181 | 4.33% |
| Black or African American | 746 | 2.74% |
| Asian | 210 | 0.77% |
| Other race | 137 | 0.5% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 120 | 0.44% |
| Native American | 88 | 0.32% |
White
Two or more races
Black or African American
Asian
Other race
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Native American
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 12,728 | 2.08 | 67.9 | 32.1 |
| Non Family | 5,687 | 1.17 | 55.2 | 44.8 |
| Married | 5,315 | 2.74 | 85 | 15 |
| Female | 1,183 | 3.05 | 48.2 | 51.8 |
| Male | 543 | 3.02 | 76.2 | 23.8 |
2.73
Average Family Size
2.08
Average Household Size
67.9%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 9th to 12th Grade | 968 | 4.95% |
| Associates Degree | 3,068 | 15.68% |
| Bachelors Degree | 2,659 | 13.59% |
| Graduate Degree | 1,400 | 7.15% |
| High School Graduate | 7,221 | 36.89% |
| Less Than 9th Grade | 432 | 2.21% |
| Some College | 3,824 | 19.54% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 17,706 | 16,792 | 3,814 |
| Hispanic | 988 | 811 | 137 |
| 2+ Races | 584 | 523 | 95 |
| Black | 434 | 233 | 30 |
| Asian | 184 | 184 | 25 |
| Other Race | 118 | 118 | 11 |
| Islander | 50 | 3 | 0 |
| Native American | 47 | 17 | 6 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among asian people with a rate of 100%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among white people with a rate of 21.54%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelors Degree | $57,954 | $74,281 | $45,455 |
| Graduate Degree | $81,336 | $80,478 | $82,614 |
| High School Graduate | $33,369 | $42,875 | $28,718 |
| Less Than 9th Grade | $35,859 | $39,103 | $35,227 |
| Overall | $41,930 | $51,275 | $34,664 |
| Some College | $42,959 | $51,085 | $34,372 |
$41,930
Average Earnings
$51,275
Average Male
$34,664
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
95.89% of Mason City residents speak only English, while 4.11% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 2.67% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 23,247 | 2,323 | 9.99% |
| Hispanic | 1,788 | 235 | 13.14% |
| Black | 665 | 107 | 16.09% |
| Multiple | 1,150 | 66 | 5.74% |
| Other | 133 | 63 | 47.37% |
| Native | 87 | 50 | 57.47% |
| Islander | 120 | 42 | 35% |
10.55%
Overall Poverty Rate
8.86%
Male Poverty Rate
12.2%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Mason City is Native, with 57.47% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Mason City is Multiple, with 5.74% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 1.54%. Among those working part-time, it was 17.46%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 16.43%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Less Than 9th Grade | 11.52% |
| High School | 11.09% |
| Some College | 8.28% |
| Bachelors or Greater | 4.98% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Male Unemployed | 29.87% |
| Female Unemployed | 22.51% |
| Female Employed | 7.76% |
| Male Employed | 4.96% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Families | $78,092 | $91,914 |
| Households | $60,786 | $75,095 |
| Married Families | $89,268 | $-999,999,999 |
| Non Families | $37,657 | $49,006 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
49.5%
Overall Marriage Rate
49.5%
Male Marriage Rate
49.5%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
1,724
Number of Veterans
1,600
Male Veterans
124
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
|---|---|
| Vietnam | 564 |
| First Gulf War | 320 |
| Second Gulf War | 295 |
| Korea | 160 |
| World War II | 11 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
|---|---|
| 75+ | 455 |
| 65 to 74 | 439 |
| 35 to 54 | 405 |
| 55 to 64 | 294 |
| 18 to 34 | 131 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| White | 1,645 | 8.17% |
| Black | 32 | 5.78% |
| Native American | 20 | 27.78% |
| Islander | 13 | 20.97% |
| Other Race | 12 | 8.76% |
| Hispanic | 12 | 1.08% |
| 2+ Races | 2 | 0.3% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
5.36%
Veteran Poverty Rate
31.22%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
65.6%
Labor Force Participation
63.3%
Employment Rate
3.4%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
73.32%
Born in Mason City
97.58%
Native Born
2.42%
Foreign Born
1.23%
Non Citizen
1.19%
Naturalized
97.58% of Mason City residents were born in the United States, with 73.32% having been born in Iowa. 1.23% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2029 | 26,180 | -121 | -0.46% |
| 2028 | 26,301 | -121 | -0.46% |
| 2027 | 26,422 | -121 | -0.46% |
| 2026 | 26,543 | -121 | -0.45% |
| 2025 | 26,664 | -121 | -0.45% |
| 2024 | 26,785 | -121 | -0.45% |
| 2023 | 26,906 | -5 | -0.02% |
| 2022 | 26,911 | -254 | -0.94% |
| 2021 | 27,165 | -104 | -0.38% |
| 2020 | 27,269 | 324 | 1.2% |
| 2019 | 26,945 | -120 | -0.44% |
| 2018 | 27,065 | -293 | -1.07% |
| 2017 | 27,358 | -49 | -0.18% |
| 2016 | 27,407 | 80 | 0.29% |
| 2015 | 27,327 | -100 | -0.36% |
| 2014 | 27,427 | -241 | -0.87% |
| 2013 | 27,668 | -86 | -0.31% |
| 2012 | 27,754 | -194 | -0.69% |
| 2011 | 27,948 | -94 | -0.34% |
| 2010 | 28,042 | 0 | 0% |
| 2000 | 29,172 | 132 | 0.45% |
| 1990 | 29,040 | -1,104 | -3.66% |
| 1980 | 30,144 | -235 | -0.77% |
| 1970 | 30,379 | -263 | -0.86% |
| 1960 | 30,642 | 2,662 | 9.51% |
| 1950 | 27,980 | 900 | 3.32% |
| 1940 | 27,080 | 3,776 | 16.2% |
| 1930 | 23,304 | 3,239 | 16.14% |
| 1920 | 20,065 | 8,835 | 78.67% |
| 1910 | 11,230 | 4,484 | 66.47% |
| 1900 | 6,746 | 2,739 | 68.36% |
| 1890 | 4,007 | 1,497 | 59.64% |
| 1880 | 2,510 | -23,670 | -90.41% |