Mason City is a place where people can march to the beat of their own drum. Whether someone wants to go shopping downtown, hike through the city’s 70 miles of trails or explore a free art museum, it’s available here. This community, the largest city in North Iowa with almost 27,000 people, has multiple major employers in industries including healthcare and manufacturing. Mason City was the birthplace of Meridith Wilson and inspired his legendary musical “The Music Man,” and the city counts the North Iowa Band Festival among its popular annual traditions. “The city has a wide variety of different price points, affordability for different people depending on what they’re looking for, how much they can afford,” says Jessica Sears, who’s with Realty ONE Group and is a native of the city.
Mason City residents take pride in their city and their communities.
Downtown Mason City has historic buildings, Central Park, and ample shopping and dining choices.
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Prairie School architechture is common
One of the things Mason City is known for is its abundance of homes with the Prairie School architecture style. A signature style in the Midwest popularized in the early 20th century by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, Prairie School is defined by an abundance of horizontal panels inspired by the region's landscape. In fact, Mason City’s Rock Crest-Rock Glen Historic District holds the distinction of having the highest concentration of Prairie School homes in the world. “There’s a lot of unique architecture, and people from all over the world actually look for certain types of homes like that, depending on the architect,” Sears says.
But buyers can also find bungalow- and gable-front-style fixer-uppers for less than $60,000. Homes in better condition but less than 2,000 square feet sell for $60,000 to $200,000, in the Youngs and South Carolina Acres neighborhoods. Larger options go for anywhere between $200,000 and $800,000, whether one of the classic Prairie School examples in Rock Crest-Rock Glen or a home built in the early 21st century in the Fairways subdivision. The average sale price across the city is $190,000, and homes tend to sell after 41 days on the market, on par with the national average of 44.
Frank Lloyd Wright's Stockman House is a shining example of Prairie School architecture.
Modern homes can be found in developments around the outskirts of Mason City.
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Smithfield and Kraft offer manufacturing jobs
The North Iowa Mercy Health Center, which has 342 beds, is the largest employer in not just Mason City but also Cerro Gordo County. However, Mason City is also home to almost 50 manufacturing facilities for companies including Smithfield and Kraft. “A lot of people work in town,” Sears says. “Due to the low cost of living and good affordability, some people that work remotely live in Mason City, too.”
Mason City is home to a large hospital, MercyOne North Iowas Medical Center.
Kraft Heinz has a large factory and employs many Mason City residents.
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Evans Preserve extends trail system
Mason City’s park system extends several hundred acres, and includes 57 miles of trails. “A lot of people like to do recreation,” Sears says. “So hiking, mountain biking. The city just invested a lot of money into new biking trails.” Mason City opened a new singletrack portion of its Prairie Rock Trails system in October 2024. Parks include Parker’s Woods, which runs along a portion of Willow Creek, a waterway open to fishing. Lester Milligan Park has 2 miles of trails and, with a location by two ponds, is a spot for both swimming and fishing. The Mason City YMCA offers indoor recreation at cost. The facility has weight and cardio equipment and runs adult and youth sports leagues.
The 2,058-seat Mason City Arena is the largest venue in North Iowa. The area is the home of junior league hockey teams the Mason City Toros and North Iowa Bulls, but also hosts youth and high school hockey games, figure skating, concerts, tradeshows and community events.
The area’s climate includes warm summers and cold winters, with almost 40 inches of snow. Iowa has averaged about 70 tornadoes per year since 2010, according to a Des Moines Register record.
Visitors to Central Park can browse public art and a sculpture of Mason City's favorite architect, Frank Lloyd Wright.
Mason City Arena is home to the Mason City Hohawks, a hockey program with teams in several age groups.
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Main Street Mason City District is a commercial hub for North Iowa
Part of Mason City’s status as the biggest city in the region is that it’s also the most prominent place for retail in the area. Many of Mason City’s shopping and dining options are downtown, in the walkable Main Street Mason City District. More is available to the west, along Fourth Street, including the Willowbrook Mall, a collection of small businesses like a shoe store and a bakery.
Besides its shops and restaurants, downtown is also home to the Charles H. MacNider Art Museum, which has free admission and is known in part for its collection of Bill Baird puppets. The North Iowa Band Festival — which dates back more than 80 years — includes a parade that marches through downtown each May and is considered the largest free band competition across the Midwest.
The quaint downtown shops give Mason City plenty of character.
The indoor Willowbrook Mall is one shopping destination in Mason City.
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Mason City Transit helps keep residents moving
Mason City Transit is a public transportation bus system that operates Monday through Friday. Interstate 35 connects to the state capital, Des Moines, about 120 miles south. The Mason City Municipal Airport has flights into Chicago on United Airlines.
Newman Catholic School is a highly rated private option
The area’s Mason City Community School District carries a C-plus rating on Niche and includes a couple of B-rated campuses in Jefferson Elementary and Roosevelt Elementary.
Newman Catholic School is a private option that earns a B-plus grade on Niche and is in the top 10 of the site’s list of the best Catholic high schools in the state. But Newman isn’t limited to the high school level — it serves more than 500 students from kindergarten through 12th grade.
The North Iowa Area Community College is based in Mason City. The two-year college offers the opportunity for guaranteed admission to Buena Vista University with a completion of an associate’s degree.
Mason City High School serves around 1,000 students in grades 9-12.
Just east of Mason City is North Iowa Community College, a popular secondary education choice for the area.
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Crime
Mason City experienced a 9% increase in overall crime from 2022 to 2023, according to Iowa Department of Public Safety stats. The city’s rate of property crime is higher than national levels, according to the FBI Crime Data Explorer.
GreatSchools:
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
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On average, homes in Mason City, IA sell after 63 days on the market compared to the national average of 70 days. The median sale price for homes in Mason City, IA over the last 12 months is $148,518, up 8% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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