City comparison
Sioux City, IA is about 200 miles (325 km) from Waterloo, IA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 250 miles, or about 4 h 15 min 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 Waterloo, IA takes about 25 min, covering roughly 200 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 67,256 in Waterloo — about 1.3× larger by population. By land area, Waterloo covers about 62 sq mi vs 59 sq mi for Sioux City.
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 | Waterloo | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $904/mo | $865/mo | 4.5% higher in Sioux City |
| Median home value | $149,800 | $142,000 | 5.5% higher in Sioux City |
| Median household income | $64,250 | $54,104 | 18.8% higher in Sioux City |
| Groceries index | 94.2 | 94.0 | ≈ equal (Sioux City slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 83.5 | 84.4 | 1.0% higher in Waterloo |
| Transportation index | 93.1 | 93.3 | ≈ equal (Waterloo slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 93.3 | 93.5 | ≈ equal (Waterloo 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 $102,562 in Waterloo to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Sioux City, IA is about 2.5% cheaper overall than Waterloo, IA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 8% higher in Waterloo than in Sioux City. If you earn $80,000 in Sioux City, you'd need about $82,050 in Waterloo to keep the same standard of living.