Smart Movers Club

    Moving to Cedar Falls, IA

    Is Cedar Falls a good place to live?

    Watch Cedar Falls

    Cedar Falls ranks #9 of 19 Iowa cities with 25,000+ people on the Smart Movers livability score (47/100), which weighs home affordability, unemployment, education and population growth. Population fell 0.1% in the latest Census year.

    Median home value
    $252,500
    +3.1% vs prior year
    Median rent
    $1,177
    per month
    Household income
    $74,165
    median
    Unemployment
    3.2%
    lower is better

    Cost of living in Cedar Falls

    The median home value in Cedar Falls is $252,500 and median rent is $1,177 a month, against a median household income of $74,165. Homes cost about 3.4× a year of income (under 3× is considered affordable).

    Cedar Falls crime rate

    City-level FBI figures vary by agency; across Iowa the 2025 rate was 238 violent and 1,205 property crimes per 100,000 people — #40 highest of 50 states. The full report breaks down local trends.

    Moving to Cedar Falls, IA

    Cedar Falls has about 40,662 residents, 3.2% unemployment and 28% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher.

    Compare Cedar Falls with

    Cedar Falls vs Des MoinesCedar Falls vs Cedar RapidsCedar Falls vs DavenportCedar Falls vs Sioux CityCedar Falls vs Iowa CityCedar Falls vs AnkenyCedar Falls vs West Des MoinesCedar Falls vs Waterloo

    More: Where to move in Iowa · Best counties in Iowa

    Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates (2023, compared with 2022); FBI Crime Data Explorer.

    Home listings, local news, migration, schools, resources and the Smart Movers Grade & Verdict.

    See the full Smart Movers Club report