Scores by category

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

Safety81#176/924
Economy66#311/925
Housing74#242/925
Health58#393/925
Healthcare59#379/923
Environment45#509/917
Education43#527/925
Infrastructure82#170/925
Community71#271/925
Leisure & amenities43#524/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

Mammography screening · high57.0%
94/100Iowa 57.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Uninsured residents (under 65) · low5.2%
92/100Iowa 6.4%United States 9.8%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B27010
Depression · low20.1%
90/100Iowa 21.5%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Income inequality (Gini index) · low0.417
90/100Iowa 0.444United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Property crime rate · low637 /100k
87/100Iowa 1,172 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties
Average commute time · low19.0 min
86/100Iowa 19.8 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013

Weaknesses

Pharmacies · low0.7 /10k
6/100Iowa 1.5 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Primary care physicians · low31 /100k
7/100Iowa 74 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Mental health providers · low97 /100k
10/100Iowa 226 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Suicide rate · high26.1 /100k
11/100Iowa 16.9 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Adult obesity · high41.4%
15/100Iowa 39.7%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Effective property tax rate · high1.32%
16/100Iowa 1.33%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090

Trends

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

Drought exposureWorsening
3% (2021) → 27% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+24 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
New business applicationsImproving
5.0 /1k (2020) → 8.7 /1k (2025)
+75%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Traffic deathsWorsening
8.4 /100k (2015-2019) → 14.1 /100k (2020-2024)
+68%5 yearsUS 11.3 /100k → 12.3 /100k
Suicide rateWorsening
15.9 /100k (2021) → 26.1 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
+64%5 yearsUS 14.5 /100k → 14.1 /100k
Drug overdose deathsWorsening
8.4 /100k (2019) → 13.1 /100k (2024)
+56%5 yearsUS 20.0 /100k → 22.3 /100k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
79.2% (2015-2019) → 90.4% (2020-2024)
+11 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%

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, Muscatine, IA micropolitan area improved on 11 of 30 measures with a comparison and declined on 9. 6 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.

Improved11

Arts & recreation+42%1.9 /10k → 2.6 /10k
Gyms+37%0.7 /10k → 1.0 /10k
New businesses+75%5.0 /1k → 8.7 /1k
Property crime−47%1,201 /100k → 637 /100k
Broadband+11 points79.2% → 90.4%

Declined9

Poverty+4 points9.6% → 13.7%
Pharmacies−48%1.4 /10k → 0.7 /10k
Traffic deaths+68%8.4 /100k → 14.1 /100k
Suicides+48%17.6 /100k → 26.1 /100k
Child poverty+4.6 points13.7% → 18.3%

All 30 measures

Change of every measure of Muscatine, IA micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	1.9 /10k2020	2.6 /10k2025	+42%	Improved	94%
Average commute time	17.4 min2015-2019	19.0 min2020-2024	+1.6 min	Declined	19%
Average weekly wage	$1,0202020	$1,2362025	+21%	Improved	31%
Bachelor's degree or higher	21.5%2015-2019	23.1%2020-2024	+1.6 points	Within the margin of error	23%
Broadband subscriptions	79.2%2015-2019	90.4%2020-2024	+11 points	Improved	72%
Child poverty rate	13.7%2015-2019	18.3%2020-2024	+4.6 points	Declined	4%
Distance to an airport	44 mi2020	44 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Effective property tax rate	1.62%2015-2019	1.32%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Little change	90%
Firearm deaths	11.0 /100k2020	12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+10%	Declined	34%
Grocery stores	1.2 /10k2020	1.2 /10k2025	+3.1%	Little change	63%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.7 /10k2020	1.0 /10k2025	+37%	Improved	84%
High school diploma or higher	89.0%2015-2019	89.7%2020-2024	+0.7 points	Within the margin of error	19%
Home price to income ratio	2.2×2015-2019	2.6×2020-2024	+0.4×	Declined	57%
Homicide rate	3.2 /100k2020	3.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−6.3%	Improved	27%
Income adjusted for local prices	$53,8472019	$71,7582024	+33%	Improved	61%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4182015-2019	0.4182020-2024	−0.000	Within the margin of error	56%
Median household income	$58,4532015-2019	$69,3962020-2024	+19%	Improved	10%
New business applications	5.0 /1k2020	8.7 /1k2025	+75%	Improved	83%
Pharmacies	1.4 /10k2020	0.7 /10k2025	−48%	Declined	2%
Poverty rate	9.6%2015-2019	13.7%2020-2024	+4 points	Declined	1%
Property crime rate	1,201 /100k2020	637 /100k2025	−47%	Improved	81%
Public libraries	0.7 /10k2019	0.7 /10k2024	+1%	Little change	70%
Rent as share of income	24.3%2015-2019	27.5%2020-2024	+3.2 points	Within the margin of error	10%
Rent-burdened households	37.8%2015-2019	45.3%2020-2024	+7.5 points	Within the margin of error	9%
Restaurants and bars	11.1 /10k2020	10.5 /10k2025	−5.5%	Declined	24%
Suicide rate	17.6 /100k2020	26.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+48%	Declined	8%
Traffic deaths	8.4 /100k2015-2019	14.1 /100k2020-2024	+68%	Declined	3%
Unemployment rate	5.7%2020	3.8%2025	−1.9 points	Improved	20%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	4.5%2015-2019	5.2%2020-2024	+0.7 points	Within the margin of error	25%
Violent crime rate	242 /100k2020	194 /100k2025	−20%	Improved	56%

“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 Muscatine, IA micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Muscatine, 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, Muscatine, IA micropolitan area itself moved −7 points in standing on average over the same 29 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

42,559 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

17,345 households (±339)

Muscatine, IA micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k16%2,826
$25k–50k18%3,123
$50k–75k20%3,387

Homes

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

Owners and renters

17,345 households (±339)

Muscatine, IA micropolitan area
United States share

Own74%12,820
Rent26%4,525

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

20,867 workers (±546)

Muscatine, IA micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone80%16,668
Carpool9.7%2,018
Public transit0.1%†27

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 Muscatine, 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.

Muscatine, IA has 949 employer establishments, 224 for every 10,000 residents (0.90× the US rate of 248), with 19,519 paid employees at an average annual pay of $60,791. The Census Bureau also counts 2,318 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 949; 2,318 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 224; US 248
Paid employees: 19,519
Average annual pay: $60,791; US $68,342

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

Restaurants and other eating places	77	18.2	0.99×About typical	1,128	$15,482	3
Ambulatory health care services	68	16.1	0.77×Fewer than typical	472	$70,328	79
Specialty trade contractors	48	11.3	0.73×Fewer than typical	265	$61,992	158
Lessors of real estate	45	10.6	0.86×About typical	121	$40,901	252
Truck transportation	43	10.2	2.01×More than typical	437	$63,201	90
Limited-service restaurants	38	9	1.12×About typical	673	$16,174	—
Religious organizations	37	8.7	1.58×More than typical	227	$18,374	—
Full-service restaurants	32	7.6	0.99×About typical	359	$14,228	—
Construction of buildings	31	7.3	0.97×About typical	123	$49,691	82
Offices of other health practitioners	27	6.4	1.05×About typical	193	$58,358	31
Gasoline stations	25	5.9	1.82×More than typical	286	$28,643	—
Services to buildings and dwellings	23	5.4	0.81×About typical	143	$42,301	159

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 42,293 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 $25.7M on contracts performed in Muscatine, IA micropolitan area: $614 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $25.7M; −38% vs FY2025
Per resident: $614; US $1,995
Sole-source: 31%; US 30%
Single offer: 11%; 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

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

33.6MFY2017
34.6MFY2018
27.6MFY2019
23.2MFY2020
36.8MFY2021
48.9MFY2022
43.4MFY2023
36.6M

Top industries (NAICS)

Office furniture (including fixtures) manufacturing · 3372$10.2M40%
Other general purpose machinery manufacturing · 3339$9.5M37%
Semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing · 3344$4.1M16%
Engine, turbine, and power transmission equipment manufacturing · 3336$1.7M6.7%
Aerospace product and parts manufacturing · 3364$481.9K1.9%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413

Largest awards

USDA TASK ORDER 2.1, A-E DESIGN SERVICES.$17.5M
STANLEY CONSULTANTS, INC.· Muscatine County, IA· Construction & real property· Jul 16, 2021 – Oct 17, 2025· W912ER21F0105
PUMP,CENTRIFUGAL$7.3M
CARVER PUMP COMPANY· Muscatine County, IA· Other equipment & supplies· Apr 19, 2024 – May 13, 2026· N0010424CLA15
A-E SVCS, NEW HYDROLOGIC INSTRUMENTATION FACILITY$6.9M
STANLEY CONSULTANTS, INC.· Muscatine County, IA· Construction & real property· Jan 21, 2020 – Aug 3, 2026· 140G0120C0003
GLAC 318705 - REPLACE UTILITY SYSTEMS IN GLACIER NATIONAL PARK, DESIGN SERVICES DD/CD

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 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 $257.3M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Muscatine, IA micropolitan area: $6,148 per resident (US $12,957).

Assistance · FY2026: $257.3M; −2.5% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,148; US $12,957
Loan face value: $8.5M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 1.1%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$177.7M69%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$20.8M8.1%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$17.6M6.9%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$14.3M5.6%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$7.2M2.8%
20.287 · Surface Transportation Block Grant Program$6.1M2.4%
14.871 · Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers$2.4M0.9%
64.110 · Veterans Dependency and Indemnity Compensation for Service-Connected Death$1.6M0.6%

Top recipients (organizations)

IOWA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$7.8M3.0%
AMES, IA
CITY OF MUSCATINE$3.1M1.2%
MUSCATINE, IA
CEDAR HLS APARTMENTS$576.8K0.2%
MUSCATINE, IA
CEDAR PARK APARTMENTS$459.1K0.2%
MUSCATINE, IA
TYBROOKE FARMS INC$301.1K

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$220.1M86%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$20.5M8.0%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$7.8M3.0%
Department of Transportation
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing$3.1M1.2%
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Farm Service Agency

Assistance by fiscal year

211.2MFY2021
227.5MFY2022
233.5MFY2023
242.8MFY2024
264.1MFY2025
257.3MFY2026

County aggregates

94%

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 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Muscatine, 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.

Muscatine CountyCentral county7741,853

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

MuscatinePrincipal city23,489

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
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M34700

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved11

Declined9

Metro and micro areas like Muscatine, 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 Muscatine, 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

Improved11

Declined9

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 programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought