City comparison
Sioux City, IA is about 150 miles (225 km) from Urbandale, IA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 175 miles, or about 3 h 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 Sioux City, IA to Urbandale, IA takes about 18 min, covering roughly 150 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.
Sioux City has a population of 85,469, vs 45,591 in Urbandale — about 1.9× larger by population. By land area, Sioux City covers about 59 sq mi vs 23 sq mi for Urbandale.
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 | Sioux City | Urbandale | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $904/mo | $1,108/mo | 22.6% higher in Urbandale |
| Median home value | $149,800 | $298,500 | 99.3% higher in Urbandale |
| Median household income | $64,250 | $111,888 | 74.1% higher in Urbandale |
| Groceries index | 94.2 | 94.0 | ≈ equal (Sioux City slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 83.5 | 85.2 | 2.0% higher in Urbandale |
| Transportation index | 93.1 | 93.3 | ≈ equal (Urbandale slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 93.3 | 93.5 | ≈ equal (Urbandale slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Sioux City, you'd need $114,260 in Urbandale to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Sioux City, IA is about 12.5% cheaper overall than Urbandale, IA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 44% higher in Urbandale than in Sioux City. If you earn $80,000 in Sioux City, you'd need about $91,408 in Urbandale to keep the same standard of living.