Living in Cedar Falls, IA
Small city in Iowa
Cedar Falls is a small city in Iowa, home to about 41,000 people, with 182,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, there is some transit, though many people drive. Life moves at a slow, calm pace, and homes are a mix of apartments and houses.
Is Cedar Falls a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $259k and rents for $1,360 a month
- Strong healthcare: 2 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Mild summers: highs around 83°F
- Low natural disaster risk: 7 federally declared disasters since 2000
👎 Cons
- Smaller job market: about 182,000 people live within 31 mi
- Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
- Fewer outdoor escapes: no big hills or water close by
- Fewer family amenities than most places
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Cedar Falls ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Cedar Falls: common questions
What is the cost of living in Cedar Falls?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $259k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,360 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 87, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Cedar Falls?
Iowa collects about $1,192 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 1.45% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Cedar Falls safe?
Cedar Falls isn't in the FBI's 2019 city crime table, so Best Life Fit Me counts its safety as average.
What is the weather like in Cedar Falls?
Cedar Falls has long, snowy winters: winter days average around 32°F and summer days around 83°F, with roughly 39″ of snow a year.
Does Cedar Falls get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding, tornadoes and strong wind: 7 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.56 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Cedar Falls?
The nearest major airport is DSM, about 92 mi away.
How Cedar Falls scores
Each bar compares Cedar Falls with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
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Nearby
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Is Cedar Falls right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.