Should I Move To
Sioux City, Iowa is a population of 85,469 . Cost of living is very affordable — 20% below the national average, with median rent around $904/month and median household income of $64,250. Overall it earns an UrbRank Score of 53/100 (grade C-), ranking #382 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Inverse of violent + property crime rate per 100,000 residents.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Sioux City's composite cost-of-living index sits at 80 (US average = 100), placing it in the very affordable tier. At $904/month median rent against $64,250 median household income, residents spend about 17% of household income on rent — well within the 30% rule of thumb. Median home value is $149,800.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Sioux City has a cold-winter climate — summer highs average 83°F and winter lows average 18°F. Somewhat walkable — many neighborhoods support daily errands without a car. Crime rates run somewhat higher than the typical US city. Air quality is good (AQI 39).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Sioux City is a less obvious fit for families. It earns a Score of 48/100 (grade D) on the families profile. Especially strong on affordability (99/100), weakest on climate (16/100).
Sioux City is a less obvious fit for retirees. It earns a Score of 54/100 (grade C-) on the retirees profile. Especially strong on affordability (99/100), weakest on climate (16/100).
Sioux City is a moderate fit for remote workers. It earns a Score of 62/100 (grade C+) on the remote workers profile. Especially strong on affordability (99/100), weakest on climate (16/100).
Sioux City is a less obvious fit for young professionals. It earns a Score of 52/100 (grade C-) on the young professionals profile. Especially strong on affordability (99/100), weakest on climate (16/100).
Sioux City, Iowa has an overall UrbRank Score of 53/100 (grade C-), ranked #382 nationally. The score is a weighted average across affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Sioux City's cost-of-living index is 80 (US average = 100), so it's very affordable — 20% below the national average. Median rent is $904/month.
Sioux City has a cold-winter climate. Summer highs average 83°F and winter lows average 18°F.
Sioux City has a Walk Score of 58/100. Somewhat walkable — many neighborhoods support daily errands without a car.
Sioux City has a population of 85,469, with 23% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher and a median age of 35.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Sioux City 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 Sioux City 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 Sioux City with other Iowa cities scored on UrbRank.
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