City comparison
Cedar Rapids, IA is about 250 miles (400 km) from Sioux City, IA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 300 miles, or about 5 h 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 Cedar Rapids, IA to Sioux City, IA takes about 29 min, covering roughly 250 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.
Cedar Rapids has a population of 136,929, vs 85,469 in Sioux City — about 1.6× larger by population. By land area, Cedar Rapids covers about 75 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 | Cedar Rapids | Sioux City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $886/mo | $904/mo | 2.0% higher in Sioux City |
| Median home value | $167,900 | $149,800 | 12.1% higher in Cedar Rapids |
| Median household income | $66,895 | $64,250 | 4.1% higher in Cedar Rapids |
| Groceries index | 94.0 | 94.2 | ≈ equal (Sioux City slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 84.7 | 83.5 | 1.4% higher in Cedar Rapids |
| Transportation index | 93.3 | 93.1 | ≈ equal (Cedar Rapids slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 93.5 | 93.3 | ≈ equal (Cedar Rapids slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Cedar Rapids, you'd need $93,653 in Sioux City to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Sioux City, IA is about 6.3% cheaper overall than Cedar Rapids, IA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 21% higher in Cedar Rapids than in Sioux City. If you earn $80,000 in Cedar Rapids, you'd need about $74,922 in Sioux City to keep the same standard of living.