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 | Waterloo | West Des Moines | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $865/mo | $1,153/mo | 25.0% lower in A |
| Median home value | $142,000 | $266,700 | 46.8% lower in A |
| Median household income | $54,104 | $82,345 | 34.3% 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 Waterloo, you'd need $111,522 in West Des Moines to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Waterloo, IA is about 10.3% cheaper overall than West Des Moines, IA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 25% lower in Waterloo than in West Des Moines. If you earn $80,000 in Waterloo, you'd need about $89,218 in West Des Moines to keep the same standard of living.