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 | West Des Moines | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,077/mo | $1,153/mo | 6.6% lower in A |
| Median home value | $256,600 | $266,700 | 3.8% lower in A |
| Median household income | $54,879 | $82,345 | 33.4% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 94.5 | 94.5 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 86.1 | 86.7 | 0.7% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 94.1 | 94.1 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 94.8 | 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 Iowa City, you'd need $101,164 in West Des Moines to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Iowa City, IA is about 1.2% cheaper overall than West Des Moines, IA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 3% lower in Iowa City than in West Des Moines. If you earn $80,000 in Iowa City, you'd need about $80,931 in West Des Moines to keep the same standard of living.