City comparison
Monroe, LA is about 700 miles (1,100 km) from Waterloo, IA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 850 miles, or about 14 hours 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 Monroe, LA to Waterloo, IA takes about 1 h 23 min, covering roughly 700 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.
Waterloo has a population of 67,256, vs 47,631 in Monroe — about 1.4× larger by population. By land area, Waterloo covers about 62 sq mi vs 30 sq mi for Monroe.
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 | Monroe | Waterloo | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $790/mo | $865/mo | 9.5% higher in Waterloo |
| Median home value | $158,200 | $142,000 | 11.4% higher in Monroe |
| Median household income | $36,550 | $54,104 | 48.0% higher in Waterloo |
| Groceries index | 94.1 | 94.0 | ≈ equal (Monroe slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 74.3 | 84.4 | 13.6% higher in Waterloo |
| Transportation index | 96.1 | 93.3 | 3.1% higher in Monroe |
| Healthcare index | 95.6 | 93.5 | 2.3% higher in Monroe |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Monroe, you'd need $111,227 in Waterloo to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Monroe, LA is about 10.1% cheaper overall than Waterloo, IA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 43% higher in Waterloo than in Monroe. If you earn $80,000 in Monroe, you'd need about $88,982 in Waterloo to keep the same standard of living.