Cost of living comparison
ACS median gross rent, median household income, and rent-to-income signals are live; utilities, insurance, and tax inputs remain queued.
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Comparison
Compare Ottumwa, Oskaloosa, Fairfield and Centerville
Compare up to four cities at once using verified Census population and ACS housing, income, education, employment, and commute estimates beside transparent young-grad signals. Live listings, occupation wages, neighborhood crime, and school-boundary data remain separate verification steps.
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| City | Grad fit | Median rent | Median income | Bachelor's+ | City unemployment | 2025 population | Growth | Cost | Safety check | Commute | Career sectors | Source confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottumwa, Iowa | 64/100 | $921 | $61,103 | 20.8% | 4.6% | 25,319 | -0.90% | rent watch | standard city check | 19.4 min | regional employers, healthcare, local services | medium-high |
| Oskaloosa, Iowa | 66/100 | $831 | $64,004 | 25.4% | 4.8% | 11,493 | -0.54% | rent-friendly | standard city check | 17.4 min | regional employers, healthcare, local services | medium-high |
| Fairfield, Iowa | 70/100 | $870 | $51,311 | 52.9% | 11.8% | 9,220 | -2.15% | rent watch | standard city check | 14.6 min | regional employers, healthcare, local services | medium-high |
| Centerville, Iowa | 63/100 | $755 | $46,563 | 16.7% | 3.6% | 5,327 | -1.72% | rent watch | standard city check | 16.2 min | regional employers, healthcare, local services | medium-high |
Salary comparison
Use BLS wage and offer-specific salary before deciding; salary equivalency calculator is queued.
Data layer queuedRent comparison
ACS median gross rent is live; HUD fair market rent and live market rent remain queued.
Data layer queuedHome price comparison
ACS owner-occupied median home value is live; listing prices, property tax, insurance, and mortgage layers remain queued.
Data layer queuedCrime comparison
No city is ranked by crime until FBI CDE and local-agency caveats are verified.
Data layer queuedWeather comparison
NOAA climate normals and hazard history are queued for climate charts.
Data layer queuedCommute comparison
ACS commute-time buckets are live as approximate city commute estimates; route-level commute checks remain queued.
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