City comparison
Waterloo, IA is about 100 miles (150 km) from West Des Moines, IA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 125 miles, or about 2 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 Waterloo, IA to West Des Moines, IA takes about 12 min, covering roughly 100 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.
West Des Moines has a population of 68,744, vs 67,256 in Waterloo — about the same size. By land area, Waterloo covers about 62 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 | Waterloo | West Des Moines | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $865/mo | $1,153/mo | 33.3% higher in West Des Moines |
| Median home value | $142,000 | $266,700 | 87.8% higher in West Des Moines |
| Median household income | $54,104 | $82,345 | 52.2% higher in West Des Moines |
| Groceries index | 94.0 | 94.0 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 84.4 | 85.2 | 1.0% higher in West Des Moines |
| Transportation index | 93.3 | 93.3 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 93.5 | 93.5 | ≈ 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 $111,580 in West Des Moines to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Waterloo, IA is about 10.4% cheaper overall than West Des Moines, IA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 34% higher in West Des Moines than in Waterloo. If you earn $80,000 in Waterloo, you'd need about $89,264 in West Des Moines to keep the same standard of living.