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Cost of living, pay and housing

42.62° N · 95.18° W · GEOID 1942645

Lakeside

Buena Vista County, Iowa · part of the Storm Lake, IA metro

Limited data population under 5,000

IowaLakeside, IALakesideLakeside

The short answer

Lakeside is home to 563 people. Median household income is $106,250 a year and median rent is $1,206 a month, 13.6% 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 $246,400, about 2.3x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,206
12% below the median place
Median household income
$106,250
32% above the median place
Median home value
$246,400
23% below the median place
Unemployment
5.5%
13% 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 Lakeside

  • Counting remote workers as zero, the average worker spends about 100 hours a year commuting, less than in 95% of the 2,101 places under 10,000 people we track.
  • The median rent takes only 13.6% of the median household's income, a smaller share than in 90% of places its size.
  • 21% of residents were born outside the US, more than in 85% of places its size. It is the 3rd-highest of 69 Iowa places.
  • The median home is worth 2.3 years of the median household's income, fewer than in 89% of places its size.
  • Household income has grown 8.8% a year across the last five survey releases, faster than in 86% of places its size.
01

Moving to Lakeside

Buena Vista County loses about 11.4 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in887
Moved out1,092
Net−205

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Sac County, IA5684−28
Pocahontas County, IA45

Within Iowa, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within IowaOther states

Income per tax return

Arrivals$44K
Leavers$46K

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

Who moves here
5.1% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 2.4% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Buena Vista County report $43,800 a year in income on average; those leaving, $45,600.
Income you would need
$48,200 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,206 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,000 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $246,400.
Getting to work
13 minutes each way on average; 4.1% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Choctaw, OK matches it on character. Compare the two
Income of households moving in7
$43,811
38% below the median place
Income of households moving out7
$45,577
35% below the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people7
-11.4
below the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureLakesideAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure5.1%11% below
Moved from another state1County figure2.4%20% above
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure-11.4below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$43,81138% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$45,57735% below
02

What it costs to live here

Rent to income is 13.6%, 33% below the median place.

Lakeside13.6%
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
$48,240
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
13.6%
33% below the median place
Home price to income
2.3x
39% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
14%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$91,500
a year, prices not adjusted
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Lakeside, $1,206 a month. It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Lakeside? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Homeownership1
81.0%
22% above the median place
Property tax rate1
1.5%
60% above the median place
Median home value1
$246,400
23% below the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureLakesideAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,20612% below
Rent to income113.6%33% below
Property tax rate11.5%60% above
Home price to income12.3x39% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms2County figure$1,03136% below
HUD area median income3County figure$96,90010% below
Property tax paid (median)1$3,59510% above
Median home value1$246,40023% below
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure7.3%129% above
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure48.8%5% below
Homeownership181.0%22% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure29.9%41% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,0007% above
Vacant homes1County figure9.0%28% above
Median year built119750% below
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
13 min
46% below the median place
Works from home1
4.1%
67% below the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureLakesideAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$106,25032% above
Income per person1$44,39811% above
Unemployment1County figure5.5%13% above
Average annual pay5County figure$55,48016% below
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure2.9%22% below
Jobs5County figure10,29193% below
Poverty rate1County figure7.8%28% below
Mean commute113 min46% below
Works from home14.1%67% below
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

High school or higher is 83.7%, 9% below the median place.

High school or higher1
83.7%
9% below the median place
Population change since 20206
-2.4%
below the median place (median 1.1%)
Born abroad1
20.6%
133% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Household size2.8 +10%
Bachelor's or higher25.2% −21%
Median age40.5 +4%
Homes with broadband93.2% +1%
All 9 people measures
MeasureLakesideAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population15636646th largest
Population change since 20206-2.4%below (median 1.1%)
Median age140.54% above
Bachelor's or higher125.2%21% below
High school or higher183.7%9% below
Household size12.810% above
Born abroad120.6%133% above
No health insurance1County figure6.2%3% below
Homes with broadband193.2%1% above
05

Life in Lakeside

11 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars15.4 −26%
Shops40.0 +32%
Arts, recreation and fitness4.8 +17%
Doctors' offices and clinics13.5 −33%
Child care centers1.4 −39%

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

Child care centers per 10k8
1.4
39% below the median place
Shops per 10k8
40.0
32% above the median place
Restaurants and bars per 10k8
15.4
26% below the median place
All 9 schools and local life measures
MeasureLakesideAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools10County figure1567% above
Public school students10County figure4,6914% below
Students per teacher10County figure15.12% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure15.426% below
Shops per 10k8County figure40.032% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure4.817% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure13.533% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure1.439% below
National Register listings9County figure1115% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

January average low is 9°F, 66% below the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Lakeside. Larger places are fetched first.

January average low11
9°F
66% below the median place
Natural hazard risk12
39.3
58% below the median place
Heat wave risk12
26.3
71% below the median place
All 8 weather and risk measures
MeasureLakesideAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high11County figure83°F4% below
January average low11County figure9°F66% below
Average temperature11County figure47°F15% below
Annual precipitation11County figure31.0 in29% below
Natural hazard risk12County figure39.358% below
Tornado risk12County figure74.09% below
Wildfire risk12County figure17.971% below
Heat wave risk12County figure26.371% below
08

Lakeside in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 14% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 14% 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$1,206/mo (2024)$1,580/mo$1,290 to $1,920/mo+4.6%
Median household income$106,250 (2024)$137,500$116,000 to $162,500+4.4%
Median home value$246,400 (2024)$368,000$267,000 to $507,000+6.9%
Population684 (2025)680650 to 710−0.1%

The median home would be worth 2.7 years of the median income in 2030, against 2.3 now.

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

09

Places like Lakeside

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

PlaceRentIncome
Choctaw, OK$1,208$100,574Compare
Brunswick, OH$1,157$90,663Compare
Clayton, NJ$1,246$90,274Compare
Norwood, PA$1,409$96,134Compare
Norwood, PAClayton, NJBrunswick, OHChoctaw, OKLakeside, IALakesideChoctawBrunswickClaytonLakesideChoctawBrunswickClayton

Common questions

Is Lakeside a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Counting remote workers as zero, the average worker spends about 100 hours a year commuting, less than in 95% of the 2,101 places under 10,000 people we track. The median rent takes only 13.6% of the median household's income, a smaller share than in 90% of places its size. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Lakeside expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 13.6% 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 $246,400.

What salary do you need to live in Lakeside?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $48,240 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Lakeside?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Choctaw, OK, Brunswick, OH, Clayton, NJ and Norwood, PA.

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. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  3. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  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. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  10. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  11. 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
  12. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps

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 Lakeside with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Lakeside itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/lakeside-iowa

Citytistics. “Lakeside, Iowa.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/lakeside-iowa/

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