A friendly small town anchored by the University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls is a small city of about 40,000 people in Black Hawk County, Iowa. It's anchored by the University of Northern Iowa, a public school with about 9,000 students. The town features an active art community, recreation opportunities and bike lanes, which provide an alternative to driving. Cory Hurless is the cultural programs supervisor for the Hearst Center for the Arts, a city-operated art center, and she recently moved to Iowa from Austin, Texas, to find a similar art scene at a lower cost of living. "The fact that it's a university town was attractive for me to move," she says. "It's a similar feeling to Austin in that way." She grew up in Michigan and immediately felt comfortable returning to her Midwestern roots. "The Midwestern friendliness that I remember as a kid is still here," she says. She's adjusted well to her new environment and has enjoyed getting involved in the community without breaking the bank. "Everybody's kind," she says. "We're able to live comfortably here. For a small town, there's a lot to offer. It's just a nice, peaceful place to live with friendly neighbors. It's a very quaint town where I get the feeling that people actually care about their community."
Cedar Falls is proud to be the home of the University of Northern Iowa.
Downtown Cedar Falls is a hub of local shops, restaurants, culture, and small businesses.
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Historic Victorians to new traditional single-family homes and townhouses
The median home price in Cedar Falls is about $280,000, which is less than the national average of about $407,000. Historic Victorian style homes can be found in and around downtown, while the city's outskirts contain primarily new Traditional single-family homes and townhouses. The city's average home value has steadily increased since 2020, from about $200,000 to around $275,000. "The neighborhoods are clean," Hurless says. "I don't see anything that makes me feel unsafe or looks rough. I can tell people take care of their properties and homes. There's a lot of community pride here."
Historic homes can be found surrounding the small Downtown Cedar Falls area.
Larger, modern homes are going up on the west side of Cedar Falls.
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The Hearst Center for the Arts and the Gallagher Performing Arts Center
In Hurless' opinion, Cedar Falls is artsier than other small Midwestern cities, which was a major draw for her. "Not a lot of cities in Iowa have a city-operated art center. That spoke to me, that the town was open or liberal in the idea of arts and culture in a small town," she says. She moved to Cedar Falls to work for the Hearst Center for the Arts. "What I operate is a small municipal art center that's meant to service the community," she says. "We have a rotation of free art exhibits throughout the year and our own schedule of theater and music performances and classes for adults and kids. If you're living here and want to explore different creative outlets, we offer everything from ceramics to painting and drawing. We're focused on developing creativity throughout a person's life cycle." In addition to offering classes, the Hearst also has events. "We had a Christmas concert last night," Hurless adds. "Our venue holds about 100 people, so it's more of an intimate experience. We set up the art gallery like a 17th-century parlor and had a harpsichord and full orchestra playing some Christmas tunes, but it sounded like a Jane Austen novel. Things like that are unique when compared to other towns this size." She adds that the university also offers cultural opportunities at venues like the Gallagher Performing Arts Center, which brings in award-winning comedy and musical acts.
Hearst Center for the Arts features local artwork alongside classes and programs for all ages.
The Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center on UNI's campus is a major cultural hub of Cedar Falls.
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UNI football and the Cedar Falls Pickleball Club
Living in Cedar Falls is about more than just the arts, the city also offers lots of opportunities for watching and playing sports. "The UNI football team has a large, enclosed space to play football, and that's hard to find in the Midwest," says Hurless. "That's an attraction for a lot of people who visit Cedar Falls." Those looking to get active can participate in the Cedar Falls Pickleball Club. "The pickleball league is huge here. It's a very passionate group. Pickleball is so big that the city had to double the number of courts. There are pickleball leagues all over Iowa, but there are few places with enough courts to hold a proper tournament. We had eight, and we added another eight, so you can hold a proper tournament here."
The UNI-Dome is home to Panthers football games, as well as expos and conventions.
The Cedar Falls Pickleball Club has their own court complex at Orchard Hill Park.
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Cedar Falls Community School District and the University of Northern Iowa
The Cedar Falls Community School District receives an A-minus rating from Niche. The city also has several private schools, including Valley Lutheran School, St. Patrick Catholic School and River Hills School. The public University of Northern Iowa is also located in Cedar Falls. Its five colleges offer over 90 majors, and in the fall of 2023, its enrollment was just over 9,000 students.
Cedar Falls High School is the main public high school in town.
The University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls has around 9,000 students and 160 majors.
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Shopping, dining and entertainment along Main Street
"Cedar Falls has a very robust downtown district," explains Hurless. "Downtown Cedar Falls is beautiful in the traditional Americana way. It's full of small shops and doesn't look abandoned like other downtowns. You can tell the downtown is thriving. On the weekend, you can go to the bar and have a drink, have a nice meal or go to the shops." Popular restaurants along Main Street include The Horny Toad American Bar & Grill, Pump Haus Pub & Grill and Montage, an upscale eatery with a rooftop patio. Also downtown is the Cedar Falls Community Theatre, where "The performances are top-notch," Hurless says. "I just went to a show last weekend, and the local talent here is very good. Sometimes you can get various quality performances if you live around different places, but you can tell that Cedar Falls definitely has a community of people who are artistically inclined."
Main Street in Downtown Cedar Falls lights up every night to welcome locals and visitors alike.
Cedar Falls residents love the expansive draft beer list and quirky decor of The Horny Toad Bar & Grill.
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Snowy winters, humid summers and low crime rates in Black Hawk County
Though Cedar Falls experiences snowy winters, they're relatively mild compared to other snowy U.S. climates. "For us, we might get maybe a foot of snow if it's really robust, but it's usually light dustings," Hurless says. "Waking up to snow on the ground this morning was beautiful, and I loved it," she says. "I forgot how much I love the snow and missed it." Compared to her Michigan upbringing, winters in Cedar Falls are moderate. "In Michigan, it could be a blizzard, and people are out driving. Here in Iowa, people are a lot more fearful of the roads," she says. "If there's a weather event, people are like, 'Oh no, you can't go out.' It does get cold; we get some snow, but it's nothing like Colorado or what I was used to in Michigan." In the summers, "It does get humid, and the cornfields contribute to that," she says. "The condensation and water vapor create a more humid atmosphere, but it doesn't last long. It might be hot for a few days up to a week, then you get a break." Cedar Falls experiences far less violent crime than the U.S. at large. In December 2023, the Black Hawk County Sheriff's Office reported 16 violent crimes per 100,000 people, while the U.S. reported 119.
Biking, Met Transit and Cedar Falls Medical Center
Cedar Falls is a car-dependent city with options to bike around town. "Riding bikes is fun here," Hurless says. "When the weather is nice, I don't even have to worry about driving my car. There are plenty of bike lanes, so I ride my bike everywhere. It does feel quaint. I can ride my bike to work and stop at the grocery store or go downtown." Cedar Falls has a bus provided by Met Transit, and flights are available at the Waterloo Regional Airport. Its closest major cities are Des Moines, 105 miles southwest, Minneapolis, 192 miles north, and Chicago, 275 miles east. Cedar Falls can be accessed via U.S. Highways 20, 63 and 218. Interstate 380 connects it to the neighboring town of Waterloo. The city has its own hospital, Cedar Falls Medical Center.
As a life-long resident of Cedar Falls and UNI Alumni, I enjoy being a part of many committees and being an active citizen in the Cedar Valley. Along with being a member of St. John Lutheran Church, I am on both the Church Council & Building Grounds Committee. I am also a member of the City of Cedar Falls Board of Adjustments and have been a member of and served on the board for the Lions Club for several years. After working in various fields in the construction industry, moving into real estate was a natural choice. I have three beautiful children and eight fun-loving, outgoing grandchildren. My wife and I enjoy traveling and have visited many vineyards in Northern California as well as France. I love working in the Real Estate business and helping people find their dream home.
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