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 | Iowa City | Rochester | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,077/mo | $1,218/mo | 11.6% lower in A |
| Median home value | $256,600 | $268,800 | 4.5% lower in A |
| Median household income | $54,879 | $83,973 | 34.6% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 94.5 | 95.7 | 1.2% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 86.1 | 88.7 | 2.9% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 94.1 | 93.6 | 0.6% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 94.8 | 94.3 | 0.5% higher 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 Iowa City, you'd need $100,101 in Rochester to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Iowa City and Rochester have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Iowa City, you'd need about $80,081 in Rochester to keep the same standard of living.