Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety57#398/924
Economy52#440/925
Housing89#106/925
Health53#431/925
Healthcare76#225/923
Environment74#239/917
Education27#679/925
Infrastructure48#480/925
Community90#97/925
Leisure & amenities46#497/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Marshalltown, IA micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Income inequality (Gini index) · low0.385
100/100Iowa 0.444United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Drought exposure · low0%
99/100Iowa 13%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAAggregated from counties
Rent-burdened households · low32.4%
98/100Iowa 43.9%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Home price to income ratio · low2.0×
98/100Iowa 2.8×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Rent as share of income · low23.2%
97/100Iowa 27.4%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Distance to an emergency room · low3.8 mi
94/100Iowa 5.8 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

New business applications · low7.1 /1k
3/100Iowa 10.8 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Public transit commuters · low0.0%
3/100Iowa 0.7%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301
Adult obesity · high44.4%
4/100Iowa 39.7%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Unemployment rate · high6.4%
4/100Iowa 3.5%United States 4.3%2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPartial year
Pharmacies · low0.8 /10k
7/100Iowa 1.5 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Primary care physicians · low38 /100k
13/100Iowa 74 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Drought exposureImproving
54% (2021) → 0% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−54 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
68.8% (2010 & 2021) → 82.6% (2022 & 2024)
+14 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
New business applicationsImproving
4.4 /1k (2020) → 7.1 /1k (2025)
+64%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
76.5% (2015-2019) → 87.6% (2020-2024)
+11 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
New homes permittedWorsening
1.5 /1k (2021) → 0.8 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−49%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Mental health providersImproving
175 /100k (2021) → 250 /100k (2025)
+43%4 yearsUS 282 /100k → 348 /100k

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Marshalltown, IA micropolitan area improved on 13 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 5. 9 moved within the margin of error and 4 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved13

Rent burden−8.3 points40.7% → 32.4%
Violent crime−38%456 /100k → 283 /100k
Traffic deaths−10%14.5 /100k → 13.0 /100k
New businesses+64%4.4 /1k → 7.1 /1k
Broadband+11 points76.5% → 87.6%

Declined5

Pharmacies−40%1.2 /10k → 0.8 /10k
Suicides+50%16.7 /100k → 25.0 /100k
Grocery stores−16%3.0 /10k → 2.5 /10k
Restaurants−5.8%8.0 /10k → 7.5 /10k
Firearm deaths+14%11.5 /100k → 13.1 /100k

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of Marshalltown, IA micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	3.2 /10k2020	3.5 /10k2025	+8.3%	Improved	49%
Average commute time	18.2 min2015-2019	19.9 min2020-2024	+1.6 min	Within the margin of error	18%
Average weekly wage	$9462020	$1,1242025	+19%	Improved	15%
Bachelor's degree or higher	18.8%2015-2019	22.6%2020-2024	+3.8 points	Improved	73%
Broadband subscriptions	76.5%2015-2019	87.6%2020-2024	+11 points	Improved	70%
Child poverty rate	16.2%2015-2019	16.9%2020-2024	+0.7 points	Within the margin of error	17%
Distance to an airport	51 mi2020	51 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	10.0 /100k2020	8.7 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−13%	Improved	38%
Effective property tax rate	1.43%2015-2019	1.29%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	54%
Firearm deaths	11.5 /100k2020	13.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+14%	Declined	30%
Grocery stores	3.0 /10k2020	2.5 /10k2025	−16%	Declined	14%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.5 /10k2020	0.5 /10k2025	+0.5%	Little change	44%
High school diploma or higher	83.8%2015-2019	86.9%2020-2024	+3 points	Within the margin of error	82%
Home price to income ratio	1.9×2015-2019	2.0×2020-2024	+0.1×	Within the margin of error	89%
Homicide rate	3.3 /100k2020	2.5 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−24%	Improved	48%
Income adjusted for local prices	$48,6512019	$61,7822024	+27%	Improved	16%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4052015-2019	0.3852020-2024	−0.020	Within the margin of error	89%
Median household income	$56,4372015-2019	$73,3152020-2024	+30%	Improved	65%
New business applications	4.4 /1k2020	7.1 /1k2025	+64%	Improved	74%
Pharmacies	1.2 /10k2020	0.8 /10k2025	−40%	Declined	4%
Poverty rate	12.0%2015-2019	11.2%2020-2024	−0.9 points	Within the margin of error	48%
Property crime rate	1,482 /100k2020	1,248 /100k2025	−16%	Improved	18%
Public libraries	1.8 /10k2019	1.7 /10k2024	−1.6%	Little change	51%
Rent as share of income	25.2%2015-2019	23.2%2020-2024	−2 points	Within the margin of error	87%
Rent-burdened households	40.7%2015-2019	32.4%2020-2024	−8.3 points	Improved	96%
Restaurants and bars	8.0 /10k2020	7.5 /10k2025	−5.8%	Declined	23%
Suicide rate	16.7 /100k2020	25.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+50%	Declined	8%
Traffic deaths	14.5 /100k2015-2019	13.0 /100k2020-2024	−10%	Improved	77%
Unemployment rate	6.2%2020	6.4%2025	+0.2 points	Little change	0%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	7.0%2015-2019	6.8%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	49%
Violent crime rate	456 /100k2020	283 /100k2025	−38%	Improved	86%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Marshalltown, IA micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Marshalltown, IA micropolitan area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Marshalltown, IA micropolitan area itself moved −3.7 points in standing on average over the same 30 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

40,114 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

15,496 households (±282)

Marshalltown, IA micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k12%1,933
$25k–50k20%3,054
$50k–75k19%2,941

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

15,496 households (±282)

Marshalltown, IA micropolitan area
United States share

Own75%11,622
Rent25%3,874

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+4.5 points).

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

19,557 workers (±492)

Marshalltown, IA micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone77%15,059
Carpool12%2,416
Public transit0.0%0

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes no occupation wages for Marshalltown, IA micropolitan area.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Marshalltown, IA has 786 employer establishments, 196 for every 10,000 residents (0.79× the US rate of 248), with 13,187 paid employees at an average annual pay of $51,421. The Census Bureau also counts 2,132 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 786; 2,132 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 196; US 248
Paid employees: 13,187
Average annual pay: $51,421; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Marshalltown, IA by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	68	17	1.10×About typical	266	$64,248	194
Ambulatory health care services	57	14.2	0.68×Fewer than typical	621	$76,441	47
Restaurants and other eating places	46	11.5	0.62×Fewer than typical	940	$17,277	12
Religious organizations	37	9.2	1.66×More than typical	183	$19,727	—
Full-service restaurants	24	6	0.78×Fewer than typical	417	$16,367	4
Lessors of real estate	24	6	0.49×Fewer than typical	612	$49,658	195
Automotive repair and maintenance	22	5.5	1.09×About typical	102	$49,245	43
Insurance agencies and brokerages	21	5.2	1.19×About typical	84	$61,250	34
Truck transportation	21	5.2	1.04×About typical	120	$57,667	64
Building equipment contractors	20	5	0.83×About typical	137	$57,825	37
Foundation, structure and building exterior contractors	20	5	1.58×More than typical	47	$63,000	51
Limited-service restaurants	20	5	0.62×Fewer than typical	483	$18,166	5

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 40,087 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $1M on contracts performed in Marshalltown, IA micropolitan area: $25.96 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $1M
Per resident: $25.96; US $1,994
Sole-source: 39%; US 30%
Single offer: 2.2%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management$575.2K56%
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences$310K30%
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention$47.3K4.6%
U.S. Marshals Service$37.6K3.6%
Department of the Army$28.4K2.7%
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Acquisition and Property Management Division$20.8K2.0%
Department of Veterans Affairs$16.4K1.6%

Top recipients

MECHDYNE CORPORATION$932.6K90%
RACOM CORPORATION$86.8K8.4%
IOWA STATE OF IOWA VETERANS HOME$16.4K1.6%
SECURE SHRED SOLUTIONS, L.L.C.-$92.000.0%

Spending by fiscal year

1.2MFY2017
4.1MFY2018
22.8MFY2019
6.5MFY2020
3MFY2021
3.4MFY2022
14.1MFY2023
8.9M

Top industries (NAICS)

Computer and peripheral equipment manufacturing · 3341$575.2K56%
Audio and video equipment manufacturing · 3343$310K30%
Computer systems design and related services · 5415$47.3K4.6%
Other telecommunications · 5179$28.4K2.7%
Communications equipment manufacturing · 3342$22.6K2.2%
Wired telecommunications carriers · 5171$20.8K

Largest awards

WIDE AREA VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT DISPLAY SYSTEM//S/A CLARIFIED DESCRIPTION//$7.8M
MECHDYNE CORPORATION· Marshall County, IA· Other equipment & supplies· May 9, 2024 – Mar 31, 2026· HU000124P0037
BOEM GOA VISUALIZATION RM TECH REFRESH$575.2K
MECHDYNE CORPORATION· Marshall County, IA· Other equipment & supplies· Sep 3, 2026 – Sep 3, 2026· 140M0126P0012
SAYLORVILLE LAKE FY22 RACOM RADIO ACCESS$92.2K
RACOM CORPORATION· Marshall County, IA· IT & telecom· Mar 23, 2022 – May 4, 2026· W912EK22C0004
FY23-27 D30 RACOM HAND-HELD RADIO SERVICE

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $247.7M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Marshalltown, IA micropolitan area: $6,210 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $247.7M; −2.5% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,210; US $12,955
Loan face value: $2.9M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 2.1%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$163.5M66%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$18.4M7.4%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$18.4M7.4%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$11.8M4.7%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$4.9M2.0%
57.001 · Social Insurance for Railroad Workers$4.7M1.9%
20.279 · National Highway Performance Program (NHPP)$4.5M1.8%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$2.9M1.2%

Top recipients (organizations)

IOWA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$10.1M4.1%
AMES, IA
IA VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE$3.2M1.3%
MARSHALLTOWN, IA
CITY OF MARSHALLTOWN$1.4M0.6%
MARSHALLTOWN, IA
EDGEBROOK PARK APARTMENTS$446.9K0.2%
MARSHALLTOWN, IA
WINDSTREAM COMMUNICATIONS, LLC$333.9K

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$198.5M80%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$22.7M9.2%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$10.1M4.1%
Department of Transportation
Railroad Retirement Board$4.7M1.9%
Farm Service Agency$3.9M1.6%

Assistance by fiscal year

230.7MFY2021
217.7MFY2022
226.7MFY2023
231.4MFY2024
254.1MFY2025
247.7MFY2026

County aggregates

91%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Marshalltown, IA

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Marshall CountyCentral county6739,890

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

MarshalltownPrincipal city27,626

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Iowa

Areas based in Iowa, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M32260

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved13

Declined5

Metro and micro areas like Marshalltown, IA micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Marshalltown, IA

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Iowa

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved13

Declined5

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type