Should I Move To
Council Bluffs, Iowa is a population of 62,670 . Cost of living is affordable — 11% below the national average, with median rent around $964/month and median household income of $61,181. Overall it earns an UrbRank Score of 42/100 (grade D), ranking #761 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Council Bluffs's composite cost-of-living index sits at 89 (US average = 100), placing it in the affordable tier. At $964/month median rent against $61,181 median household income, residents spend about 19% of household income on rent — well within the 30% rule of thumb. Median home value is $153,400.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Council Bluffs has a cold-winter climate — summer highs average 83°F and winter lows average 18°F. Almost entirely car-dependent. Crime data isn't available for this city.
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Council Bluffs is a less obvious fit for families. It earns a Score of 41/100 (grade D) on the families profile. Especially strong on affordability (84/100), weakest on education (16/100).
Council Bluffs is a less obvious fit for retirees. It earns a Score of 42/100 (grade D) on the retirees profile. Especially strong on affordability (84/100), weakest on education (16/100).
Council Bluffs is a less obvious fit for remote workers. It earns a Score of 52/100 (grade C-) on the remote workers profile. Especially strong on affordability (84/100), weakest on education (16/100).
Council Bluffs is a less obvious fit for young professionals. It earns a Score of 42/100 (grade D) on the young professionals profile. Especially strong on affordability (84/100), weakest on education (16/100).
Council Bluffs, Iowa has an overall UrbRank Score of 42/100 (grade D), ranked #761 nationally. The score is a weighted average across affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Council Bluffs's cost-of-living index is 89 (US average = 100), so it's affordable — 11% below the national average. Median rent is $964/month.
Council Bluffs has a cold-winter climate. Summer highs average 83°F and winter lows average 18°F.
Council Bluffs has a Walk Score of 23/100. Almost entirely car-dependent.
Council Bluffs has a population of 62,670, with 21% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher and a median age of 38.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Council Bluffs side-by-side with any other US city — housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality of life metrics displayed together. The leaderboard pages also show how Council Bluffs ranks for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Council Bluffs with other Iowa cities scored on UrbRank.
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