Cost of living in Altoona research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Altoona is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Iowa, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Altoona is 93, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Altoona is 0.9x lower than the national average.
Altoona ranks as the #57 cheapest in Iowa out of 80.
Altoona ranks as the #2,137 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Altoona is $212,300.
The median income in Altoona is $83,514.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Altoona has an overall cost of living index of 93, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Iowa, Altoona has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than Iowa's index of 89.
The standard of living in Altoona ranks as #57 most affordable out of the 80 places we measured in Iowa. By definition, that implies Altoona ranks as the #23 most expensive place in the Hawkeye State.
For more reading on life in Altoona, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Altoona. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Altoona is 94.
The Groceries index in Altoona is 94.
The Health index in Altoona is 92.
The Housing index in Altoona is 90.
The Transportation index in Altoona is 97.
The Utilities index in Altoona is 88.
Living Expense | Altoona | Iowa | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 93 | 89 | 100 | |
Services | 94 | 95 | 100 | |
Groceries | 94 | 98 | 100 | |
Health | 92 | 99 | 100 | |
Housing | 90 | 73 | 100 | |
Transportation | 97 | 98 | 100 | |
Utilities | 88 | 94 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Iowa, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Altoona is $212,300.
The Median Rent in Altoona is $1,072.
The Median Income in Altoona is $83,514.
The Home Value To Income in Altoona is 2.5x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Altoona is 0.15x.
Statistic | Altoona | Iowa | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $212,300 | $160,700 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $1,072 | $845 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $83,514 | $65,429 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 2.5x | 2.5x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.15x | 0.15x | 0.2x |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Altoona. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Des Moines, IA has a cost of living index of 88, 0.9x Altoona.
West Des Moines, IA has a cost of living index of 99, 1.1x Altoona.
Ankeny, IA has a cost of living index of 96, 1.0x Altoona.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Altoona |
---|---|---|---|
Des Moines, IA | 213,545 | 88 | 0.9x |
West Des Moines, IA | 67,640 | 99 | 1.1x |
Ankeny, IA | 66,346 | 96 | 1.0x |
Urbandale, IA | 45,037 | 99 | 1.1x |
Johnston, IA | 23,418 | 104 | 1.1x |
Clive, IA | 18,323 | 102 | 1.1x |
Grimes, IA | 14,842 | 98 | 1.1x |
Norwalk, IA | 12,592 | 91 | 1.0x |
Pleasant Hill, IA | 10,203 | 94 | 1.0x |
Bondurant, IA | 7,163 | 94 | 1.0x |