City comparison
Sioux City, IA is about 150 miles (250 km) from West Des Moines, 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 West Des Moines, 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 68,744 in West Des Moines — about 1.2× larger by population. By land area, Sioux City covers about 59 sq mi vs 47 sq mi for West Des Moines.
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 | West Des Moines | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $904/mo | $1,153/mo | 27.5% higher in West Des Moines |
| Median home value | $149,800 | $266,700 | 78.0% higher in West Des Moines |
| Median household income | $64,250 | $82,345 | 28.2% higher in West Des Moines |
| Groceries index | 94.2 | 94.0 | ≈ equal (Sioux City slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 83.5 | 85.2 | 2.0% higher in West Des Moines |
| Transportation index | 93.1 | 93.3 | ≈ equal (West Des Moines slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 93.3 | 93.5 | ≈ equal (West Des Moines 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 $114,439 in West Des Moines to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Sioux City, IA is about 12.6% cheaper overall than West Des Moines, IA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 44% higher in West Des Moines than in Sioux City. If you earn $80,000 in Sioux City, you'd need about $91,552 in West Des Moines to keep the same standard of living.