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 | Independence | Urbandale | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,020/mo | $1,108/mo | 7.9% lower in A |
| Median home value | $150,800 | $298,500 | 49.5% lower in A |
| Median household income | $57,415 | $111,888 | 48.7% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 94.8 | 94.5 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 89.8 | 86.7 | 3.6% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 94.4 | 94.1 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 95.1 | 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 Independence, you'd need $99,878 in Urbandale to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Independence and Urbandale have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Independence, you'd need about $79,902 in Urbandale to keep the same standard of living.