City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Ankeny | Iowa City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,289/mo | $1,077/mo | 19.7% higher in A |
| Median home value | $281,700 | $256,600 | 9.8% higher in A |
| Median household income | $101,151 | $54,879 | 84.3% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 94.5 | 94.5 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 86.7 | 86.1 | 0.7% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 94.1 | 94.1 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 94.8 | 94.8 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Ankeny, you'd need $97,374 in Iowa City to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Iowa City, IA is about 2.6% cheaper overall than Ankeny, IA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 6% lower in Iowa City than in Ankeny. If you earn $80,000 in Ankeny, you'd need about $77,899 in Iowa City to keep the same standard of living.