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 | Houston | Iowa City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,235/mo | $1,077/mo | 14.7% higher in A |
| Median home value | $235,000 | $256,600 | 8.4% lower in A |
| Median household income | $60,440 | $54,879 | 10.1% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 99.8 | 94.5 | 5.6% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 98.7 | 86.1 | 14.6% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 96.1 | 94.1 | 2.1% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 94.2 | 94.8 | 0.6% lower in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Houston, you'd need $89,899 in Iowa City to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Iowa City, IA is about 10.1% cheaper overall than Houston, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 18% lower in Iowa City than in Houston. If you earn $80,000 in Houston, you'd need about $71,920 in Iowa City to keep the same standard of living.