Carrboro, NC vs Waterloo, IA

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Carrboro

70.3

#1110 nationally

Waterloo

81.8

#36 nationally

Carrboro leads in crime level (4.9 vs 13.0). Waterloo leads in cost of living index (88 vs 126). Waterloo leads in average commute (16.5 min vs 23.5 min).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Carrboro, NC	Waterloo, IA
WhereAtHome Score	70.3 (#1110)	81.8 (#36)
Population	21,103	66,606
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$429,889	$149,005
Median Household Income	$76,933	$54,104
Average Commute	23.5 min	16.5 min
Walk Score	29	37
Crime Level	4.9	13.0
School Rating	N/A	N/A
Cost of Living Index	126	88
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+51.1	D+1.2