The State of North Iowa 2026

The State of North Iowa will be held on January 22, 2026 at the Surf Ballroom Music Enrichment Center. This annual event complements the Vision North Iowa strategic planning efforts and is an opportunity to hear directly from city and county leadership from Mason City, Clear Lake, and Greater North Iowa as they highlight recent accomplishments, outline future goals, and offer ideas about current business and community issues.

This year’s theme is “Love Where You Live.” Presentations will focus on housing development and pride-in-place. Attendees will hear about innovative efforts to increase the number of available units in single and multi-family housing. North Iowa has added 100 new housing units per year since 2020, and both Mason City and Clear Lake have been designated as Thriving Communities, opening them up to increased investment from developers. Hear how this has been possible through private and public investment, and learn about the new projects currently in the works.

Available housing is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to population growth. That leads us to the “loving where you live” component. The new Prairie Rock Trail system, Bill Schickel Plaza & Riverwalk, and the Surf District are big examples of recent investment in placemaking. But there are so many reasons people call the region home. At the State of North Iowa, community leaders will discuss conversations around defining a “community culture statement” and upcoming marketing efforts to encourage residents to fall in love with their community.