City comparison
Austin, TX is about 850 miles (1,400 km) from Sioux City, IA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 1,100 miles, or about 18 hours behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Austin, TX to Sioux City, IA takes about 1 h 42 min, covering roughly 850 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Austin has a population of 958,202, vs 85,469 in Sioux City — about 11.2× larger by population. By land area, Austin covers about 325 sq mi vs 59 sq mi for Sioux City.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
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 | Austin | Sioux City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $904/mo | 71.3% higher in Austin |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $149,800 | 208.1% higher in Austin |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $64,250 | 34.7% higher in Austin |
| Groceries index | 94.2 | 94.2 | ≈ equal (Sioux City slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 83.2 | 83.5 | ≈ equal (Sioux City slightly higher) |
| Transportation index | 96.6 | 93.1 | 3.8% higher in Austin |
| Healthcare index | 96.1 | 93.3 | 3.0% higher in Austin |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Austin, you'd need $74,284 in Sioux City to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Sioux City, IA is about 25.7% cheaper overall than Austin, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 104% higher in Austin than in Sioux City. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $59,427 in Sioux City to keep the same standard of living.