Living in What Cheer, Iowa
Cost of living, income, home prices, rent and demographics of What Cheer · Census data 2020–2024
What Cheer has 580 residents with a median age of 44. The median household income is $48,182 (36% lower than the Iowa median), the median home value is $49,200, the median rent is $744/month.
What Cheer is a small town, so Census survey estimates have wide margins of error. Treat percentages as approximate.
What Cheer at a glance
- Population
- 580
- Median age
- 44State: 38.6
- Median household income
- $48,182State: $75,059
- Median home value
- $49,200State: $208,000
- Median rent
- $744/moState: $972
- Homeowners
- 72.5%
- Bachelor's degree or higher
- 14.5%
- Average commute
- 30 min
Is What Cheer a good place to live?
Pros: Home values 76% lower than the state median.
Cons: Median household income 36% lower than the Iowa median; an average commute of 30 minutes; unemployment of 8.2%; a poverty rate of 21.2%.
The weather is best in June to September.
Cost of living in What Cheer
Housing is the biggest part of the cost of living. In What Cheer the median home value is $49,200, 85% lower than the U.S. median. Renters pay a median of $744 per month, which is 18.9% of household income. Homeowners with a mortgage pay $929 a month in housing costs.
What Cheer median household income
The median household income in What Cheer is $48,182 and the income per person is $25,993. 21.2% of residents live below the poverty line (Iowa: 11.1%).
Housing in What Cheer: homes for sale and rent
- Housing units
- 346
- Owner-occupied
- 72.5%
- Renter-occupied
- 27.5%
- Vacant
- 24.3%Includes seasonal homes
- Median year built
- 1938
- Average household size
- 2.21
What Cheer demographics
- Population
- 580
- Median age
- 44
- Under 18
- 21.2%
- 65 and older
- 19.8%
- Households
- 262
- Foreign-born
- 1%
- Veterans
- 5.9%Adults 18+
Hispanic or Latino can be of any race. Population history of What Cheer ›
Education in What Cheer
14.5% of adults 25 and older in What Cheer have a bachelor's degree or higher (Iowa: 31.4%), and 2.5% have a graduate or professional degree.
Jobs and commute in What Cheer
- Unemployment rate
- 8.2%State: 3.6%
- Average commute
- 30 minState: 20 min
- Work from home
- 3.1%
- Drive alone
- 81.9%
- Public transit
- 0%
- Walk to work
- 0.4%
- Homes with broadband
- 79%
What Cheer vs nearby towns
| Town | Population | Median income | Home value | Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What Cheer | 580 | $48,182 | $49,200 | $744 |
| Delta | 363 | $52,083 | $48,100 | $1,038 |
| Keswick | 255 | $63,750 | $89,200 | $1,083 |
| Rose Hill | 300 | $82,917 | $67,900 | $1,047 |
| Sigourney | 1,954 | $57,813 | $136,800 | $883 |
| Barnes City | 117 | $82,500 | $110,300 | $525 |
| Webster | 134 | $34,773 | $83,300 | — |
| Keomah Village | 123 | $79,688 | $200,000 | — |
| Deep River | 335 | $83,125 | $95,200 | $481 |
More for people moving to What Cheer
What Cheer ZIP code ›Weather and climate ›Living in What Cheer: FAQ
What is the median household income in What Cheer, IA?
The median household income in What Cheer is $48,182, 36% lower than the Iowa median of $75,059 (U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024).
What is the average home price in What Cheer?
The median home value in What Cheer is $49,200, compared with $208,000 in Iowa.
How much is rent in What Cheer?
The median gross rent in What Cheer is $744 per month, about 18.9% of household income.
Is What Cheer, IA a good place to live?
Pluses: home values 76% lower than the state median. Minuses: median household income 36% lower than the Iowa median; an average commute of 30 minutes; unemployment of 8.2%; a poverty rate of 21.2%.
What is the median age in What Cheer?
The median age in What Cheer is 44 years (Iowa: 38.6).
How long is the commute in What Cheer?
The average commute to work in What Cheer is 30 minutes; 3.1% of workers work from home.
What is the unemployment rate in What Cheer?
The unemployment rate in What Cheer is 8.2% (U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024).
How educated is What Cheer?
14.5% of adults in What Cheer have a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024 (margins of error apply, especially in small towns). Figures are in 2024 dollars.
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