Iowa city : Iowa

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 but growing city of 67,000 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 mid 2009 was $169,100 according to Zillow.com. 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 retirement 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 retirement community

- Cold winters
- Somewhat isolated

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What kinds of people like retiring 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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Climate and 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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Valuable Links

Wikipedia on Iowa City
Iowa City City-Data
More community reviews at Topretirements
Iowa City Chamber of Commerce
State mini-guides to retirement

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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: 2000-4000
Total Crime Index: 91-100 (slightly below average)
Cost of Living Index: 91-100 (slightly below average)
Culture Index: 111-120 (high)
State Sales Tax: Yes
State Income Tax: Yes
Name of the Guide: retirementguy

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