CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

29.44° N · 95.42° W · GEOID 4836092

Iowa Colony

Brazoria County, Texas · part of the Houston, TX metro

Limited data core figures borrowed from county or metro: median_gross_rent

TexasIowa Colony, TXIowa ColonyIowa Colony

The short answer

Iowa Colony is home to 12,891 people. Median household income is $144,092 a year and median rent is $1,454 a month, 12.1% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $405,700, about 2.8x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,454
7% above the median place
Median household income
$144,092
79% above the median place
Median home value
$405,700
27% above the median place
Unemployment
4.9%
0% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Iowa Colony

  • Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, rent rose 22.2% a year while household income rose 6.4%, so rent outran pay by more than in 99% of the 2,298 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. It is the 3rd-highest of 415 Texas places.
  • Only 0% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 379 Texas places.
  • Half the homes were built after 2015, newer housing than in 99% of places its size. It is the 3rd-highest of 415 Texas places.
  • The population has grown 152.8% since 2020, faster than in 99% of places its size.
  • 96% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 99% of places its size.

Rent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 94 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings.

People are moving in and rent is pulling away from pay. The population grew faster than in 99% of places since 2020, and rent outran income more than in 99% of them.

01

Moving to Iowa Colony

Brazoria County gains about 18.6 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in24,643
Moved out18,690
Net+5,953

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within Texas, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within TexasOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$70K
Leavers$71K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Brazoria County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
3.5% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.4% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Brazoria County report $70,300 a year in income on average; those leaving, $70,500.
Income you would need
$58,200 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,454 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,951 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $405,700.
Getting to work
36 minutes each way on average; 17.8% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
New Lenox, IL matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
3.5%
40% below the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people7
18.6
above the median place (median -0.6)
Moved from another state1
1.4%
31% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureIowa ColonyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year13.5%40% below
Moved from another state1County figure1.4%31% below
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure18.6above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$70,2850% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$70,5130% above
02

What it costs to live here

Renters paying 30%+ is 0.0%, below the median place (median 50.6%).

Iowa Colony12.1%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$58,160
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
12.1%
41% below the median place
Home price to income
2.8x
26% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
12%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$129,900
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Iowa Colony, $1,454 a month, and local prices for everything else (97.4 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Iowa Colony.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Iowa Colony? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
0.0%
below the median place (median 50.6%)
Median year built1
2015
2% above the median place
Homeownership1
96.4%
45% above the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureIowa ColonyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1County figure$1,4547% above
Rent to income112.1%41% below
Property tax rate12.3%152% above
Home price to income12.8x26% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure98.62% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,31918% below
Property tax paid (median)1$9,281184% above
Median home value1$405,70027% above
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure1.4%55% below
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure37.5%27% below
Homeownership196.4%45% above
Renters paying 30%+10.0%below (median 50.6%)
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,95158% above
Vacant homes110.8%54% above
Median year built120152% above
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Mean commute1
36 min
43% above the median place
Poverty rate1
4.3%
60% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Median household income$144,092 +79%
Income per person$50,426 +26%
Works from home17.8% +43%
Unemployment4.9% +0%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureIowa ColonyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$144,09279% above
Income per person1$50,42626% above
Unemployment14.9%0% above
Average annual pay5County figure$70,4677% above
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure3.3%11% below
Jobs5County figure124,80817% below
Poverty rate14.3%60% below
Mean commute136 min43% above
Works from home117.8%43% above
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Population change since 2020 is 152.8%, above the median place (median 1.1%).

Population change since 20206
152.8%
above the median place (median 1.1%)
Homes with broadband1
98.7%
7% above the median place
Household size1
3.1
24% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Median age34.7 −11%
Bachelor's or higher49.3% +54%
High school or higher95.0% +3%
No health insurance8.5% +33%
Born abroad9.3% +5%
All 9 people measures
MeasureIowa ColonyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population112,8913395th largest
Population change since 20206152.8%above (median 1.1%)
Median age134.711% below
Bachelor's or higher149.3%54% above
High school or higher195.0%3% above
Household size13.124% above
Born abroad19.3%5% above
No health insurance18.5%33% above
Homes with broadband198.7%7% above
05

Life in Iowa Colony

The nearest National Park Service site is Big Thicket National Preserve, about 95 miles away.

Founded or incorporated in 1973. 13 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents12.4 +22%
Playgrounds per 10k5.4 −42%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k3.9 −65%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Big Thicket National Preserve 95 miles
  • El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail 151 miles
  • Waco Mammoth National Monument 182 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars17.6 −15%
Shops23.3 −23%
Arts, recreation and fitness2.4 −41%
Doctors' offices and clinics18.9 −6%
Child care centers2.7 +17%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site10
94.6
207% above the median place
Public schools13
3
67% below the median place
Students per teacher13
16.7
8% above the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureIowa ColonyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools13367% below
Public school students133,27433% below
Students per teacher1316.78% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure17.615% below
Shops per 10k8County figure23.323% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure2.441% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure18.96% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure2.717% above
Parks per 10k912.422% above
Playgrounds per 10k95.442% below
Grocery stores per 10k90.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k93.965% below
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails90.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1094.6207% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles100below (median 2)
National Register listings11County figure130% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 103, 47% below the median place.

Violent crime per 100k
103
47% below the median place
Property crime per 100k
733
40% below the median place
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

Average temperature14
70°F
28% above the median place
January average low14
45°F
80% above the median place
Median air quality index16
35
19% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureIowa ColonyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high14County figure92°F6% above
January average low14County figure45°F80% above
Average temperature14County figure70°F28% above
Annual precipitation14County figure50.4 in15% above
Natural hazard risk15County figure93.61% above
Hurricane risk15County figure96.937% above
Tornado risk15County figure97.019% above
Wildfire risk15County figure86.141% above
Heat wave risk15County figure93.13% above
Median air quality index16County figure3519% below
Good air days16County figure80.8%18% above
08

Iowa Colony in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 22% of the median income in 2030, up from 20% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$2,360/mo (2024)$3,330/mo$2,740 to $4,060/mo+5.9%
Median household income$144,092 (2024)$184,500$156,000 to $218,500+4.2%
Median home value$405,700 (2024)$582,000$422,000 to $802,000+6.2%
Population20,503 (2025)31,44030,160 to 32,780+8.9%

The median home would be worth 3.2 years of the median income in 2030, against 2.8 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Iowa Colony

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
New Lenox, IL$1,431$140,865Compare
Bondurant, IA$1,337$135,674Compare
Albertville, MN$1,348$132,734Compare
Gretna, NE$1,540$123,992Compare
Gretna, NEAlbertville, MNBondurant, IANew Lenox, ILIowa Colony, TXIowa ColonyNew LenoxBondurantAlbertvilleGretnaIowa ColonyNew LenoxBondurantAlbertvilleGretna

Common questions

Is Iowa Colony a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, rent rose 22.2% a year while household income rose 6.4%, so rent outran pay by more than in 99% of the 2,298 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. It is the 3rd-highest of 415 Texas places. Only 0% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 379 Texas places. On cost, space and class size it scores 98 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Iowa Colony expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 12.1% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $405,700.

What salary do you need to live in Iowa Colony?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $58,160 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is Iowa Colony safe?

There were 103 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to Iowa Colony?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are New Lenox, IL, Bondurant, IA, Albertville, MN and Gretna, NE.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  6. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  13. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  14. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  15. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  16. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Iowa Colony with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Iowa Colony itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/iowa-colony-texas

Citytistics. “Iowa Colony, Texas.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/iowa-colony-texas/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.