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What Cheer, IA

Full City Profile · Iowa · Keokuk County County

2.7 /5.0
C+ Fair
634 Population 511/sq mi density
$49,688 Median Income $23,072 per capita
$47,900 Home Value $103,980 Zillow
$816 Median Rent 18.4% income on rent
49°F Avg Temperature 275 sunny days/yr
290 Violent Crime/100K 4,328 property/100K
C+
Overall
2.7 / 5.0
Fair overall score based on economy, affordability, safety and education
B
Economy
3.3 / 5.0
$49,688 median income, 3.5% unemployment
A+
Affordability
5.0 / 5.0
$47,900 home value, $816/mo rent
F
Safety
1.0 / 5.0
290 violent crimes/100K
D
Education
1.6 / 5.0
8.1% bachelor's degree or higher

What Cheer, IA

At a Glance

Median Income
$49,688
34% below
$23,072 per capita
Home Value
$47,900
83% below
Zillow: $103,980
Median Rent
$816/mo
30% below
18.4% of income on rent
Violent Crime
290/100K
24% below
4,328/100K property
Bachelor's Degree+
8.1%
76% below
93.3% high school+
Unemployment
3.5%
3% below
14.7% poverty rate
Obesity Rate
42.4%
32% above
20.0% smoking rate
Avg Temperature
49°F
275 sunny days/yr

How What Cheer Compares to the U.S. Average

Each bar shows What Cheer's value as a percentage of the national average (100% = U.S. avg)

Income
66%
Home Value
17%
Rent
70%
Poverty
119%
Bachelor's
24%
Unemployment
97%
Crime
76%
Thin vertical line = U.S. national average (100%)

Is What Cheer a Good Place to Live?

C+
2.7 / 5.0 — Fair
Based on economy, affordability, safety, and education metrics compared to national averages.

Economy & Jobs

What Cheer residents earn a median household income of $49,688 , which is 34% below the national average of $75,149. Per capita income is $23,072. The unemployment rate stands at 3.5% (3% below the U.S. rate of 3.6%). 14.7% of residents live below the poverty line. The area is home to 316 business establishments, including 15 restaurants.

Housing & Cost of Living

The median home value in What Cheer is $47,900 , 83% below the national median of $281,900. Zillow estimates the typical home at $103,980. Median rent is $816/month, with 18.4% of renters spending more than 30% of income on housing. The cost of living index is 87.8 (100 = national average). The median home was built in 1938.

Safety & Crime

What Cheer reports 290 violent crimes per 100,000 residents , which is 24% below the national average of 380/100K. Property crime is 4,328/100K.

Education

8.1% of adults in What Cheer hold a bachelor's degree or higher (76% below the national average). 93.3% have completed high school. Local schools score 5.6/10 in standardized testing.

Climate & Weather

What Cheer has an average annual temperature of 49°F (9°C). Winters average 21°F in January while summers reach 74°F in July. The area gets 275 sunny days per year. Annual precipitation totals 37.4 inches. Air quality is rated Good with a median AQI of 43.

Data Overview

People

Population634
Median Age36.7 yrs
Density511/mi²
Male / Female54% / 46%
Foreign Born13.6%
Veterans5.6%

Economy

B
Median Income$49,688
Per Capita$23,072
Unemployment3.5%
Poverty14.7%
County GDP$443M
Avg Weekly Wage$913

Housing

A+
Home Value$47,900
Rent$816
Ownership70.9%
Zillow$103,980
Housing Units335
Rent Burden18.4%

Crime

F
Violent290/100K
Property4,328/100K

Health

Obesity42.4%
Diabetes10.9%
Smoking20.0%
Heart Disease6.3%
Premature Death8,349/100K

Climate

Avg Temp49°F
Sunny Days275/yr
Rain37.4 in/yr
AQI43 (Good)
Elevation746 ft

Education

D
Bachelor's+8.1%
High School+93.3%
Graduate+0.5%
School Score5.6/10

Community

2024 VoteR 75% / D 24%
Commute27 min
Broadband80.8%
Internet Speed44 Mbps
EV Stations1
Libraries6

Did You Know?

What Cheer was founded in 1865.
The median home in What Cheer was built in 1938.
The nearest airport is Ottumwa Regional (21 miles).
The Gini coefficient (income inequality) is 0.444 (U.S. avg: 0.490).
Natural hazard risk is rated "Very Low" by FEMA.
25.8% of the population has a disability.
13.6% of residents are foreign-born.