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| What Iowa City is like for active adults |
The college town of Iowa City, Iowa is one of the most literary communities for active adult retirements in the U.S. It has won numerous awards as "Best small city", "most enlightened town" etc. Home to the University of Iowa, this small city/large town of 62,000 has a wonderful history of culture, particularly when it comes to the craft of writing. Downtown there is the Iowa Avenue Literary Walk with bronze plaques in the sidewalks that are dedicated to 49 literary lions that have ties to Iowa.
Iowa City was once the capital of Iowa and enjoys historic buildings from that era. Active adults 55+ will enjoy the lively downtown set on the Iowa River riverfront and a bustling pedestrian mall. People hoping to retire in this pleasant cultural community will find neighborhoods along tree lined streets. Rolling hills and river valleys provide the local scenery.
Because of its college town status Iowa City tends to be more expensive than most other communities in the state. The median home price here in 2005 was $207,000 and the cost of living index was 96.5 (U.S. average is 100). A search in late 2007 on Yahoo Real Estate found 89 homes for sale on the MLS with a median asking price of $215,000, and 170 in the classifieds with a median price of $209,900. The Northside Neighborhood is a popular area north of Downtown with older houses, brick streets and neighborhood shops and restaurants. Other neighborhoods mentioned include Longfellow, Goosetown or College Green. Living too close to the University can be noisy, but if one lives too far away you cannot easily walk downtown. |
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| What is special about this community |
- The University of Iowa makes this a great college town
- A great literary tradition with the Iowa Writers' Workshop
- Popular pedestrian mall
- Riverfront downtown
- Busy downtown with nice shops and restaurants
- Highly educated populace
- Tree lined neighborhoods
- 28,000 sq. ft senior center in former post office |
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| What is not special about this community |
- Cold winters
- Somewhat isolated
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| What kinds of people like living here |
| People, including baby boomers in retirement, who crave living in a literary atmosphere. College town life is great here. |
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| Local economy is driven by |
| Education and healthcare drive the Iowa City economy. |
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| Physical environment |
| Rolling hills and gentle river valleys dominate the landscape here in east central Iowa. The town is on the banks of the Iowa River. |
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| Cultural environment |
| The Iowa Writers Conference is one of the most prestigious institutions in the country, and includes graduates like John Irving and Flannery O'Connor. It is also home to the Iowa non-fiction conference, the Iowa Playwrights Program, the Iowa Summer Writing Conference, in addition to others. For would-be writers, this is the place to be. The town celebrates this heritage with the Iowa Avenue Literary Walk bronzes. A summer arts program and free concerts in the downtown pedestrian mall contribute to this great sense of culture. |
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| Medical facilities |
| University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics provides a comprehensive tertiary care medical center. Mercy Hospital is here. The Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center in Iowa City is an NCI-designated Cancer Center. |
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| Transportation |
| Iowa City is served by the Iowa Interstate Railroad and the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway (CRANDIC or CRandIC). There is also Iowa City Transit and the University of Iowa's "Cambus" system. The nearest airport with passenger service is Cedar Rapids (about 15 miles). |
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Active Adult Communities in Iowa City |
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| Iowa City Active Communities |
| Facts about IOWA CITY | | State | : IA | | Environment | : College Town, | | City Population | : 50,001-100,000 | | Median age of Population | : 25-44 | | Avg Jan Temperature | : 21-40 | | Median HH Income | : 41,001-60,000 | | Average Home Price (MLS) | : $100,000-$200,000 | | Annual Property Tax on a $200,000 house | : NA | | Total Crime Index | : 91-100 (slightly below average) | | Cost of Living Index | : | | Culture Index | : 111-120 (high) | | State Sales Tax | : | | State Income Tax | : | | Name of the Guide | : |
| | Can you add to or correct these Facts? Or do you have a photo of this community we could use? If so, please click on |
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Vote on the Ratings for Iowa City |
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Update Your Ratings |
Overall Retirement Ratings
1. Rating: 4.0/5 ( 1 vote cast)
Expense:
Inexpensive to Luxury
2. Rating: 2.0/5 ( 1 vote cast)
Taxes:
Inexpensive to Expensive
3. Rating: 2.0/5 ( 1 vote cast)
Culture:
None to Cosmopolitan
4. Rating: 4.0/5 ( 1 vote cast)
Recreation:
None to Summer camp
5. Rating: 3.0/5 ( 1 vote cast)
Transportation:
Boondocks to World Hub
6. Rating: 2.0/5 ( 1 vote cast)
Security:
Dangerous to Ft. Knox
7. Rating: 4.0/5 ( 1 vote cast)
Medical Facilities:
None to Excellent
8. Rating: 4.0/5 ( 1 vote cast)
Political Situation:
Conservative to Liberal
9. Rating: 5.0/5 ( 1 vote cast)
Environmental:
Oblivious to Ultra-Green
10. Rating: 4.0/5 ( 1 vote cast)
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