Cost of living in Charles City 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 Charles City 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 Charles City is 83, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Charles City is 0.8x lower than the national average.
Charles City ranks as the #14 cheapest in Iowa out of 80.
Charles City ranks as the #491 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Charles City is $99,200.
The median income in Charles City is $44,775.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Charles City has an overall cost of living index of 83, which is 0.8x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Iowa, Charles City has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Iowa's index of 89.
The standard of living in Charles City ranks as #14 most affordable out of the 80 places we measured in Iowa. By definition, that implies Charles City ranks as the #66 most expensive place in the Hawkeye State.
For more reading on life in Charles City, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Charles City. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Charles City is 97.
The Groceries index in Charles City is 91.
The Health index in Charles City is 98.
The Housing index in Charles City is 54.
The Transportation index in Charles City is 92.
The Utilities index in Charles City is 111.
Living Expense | Charles City | Iowa | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 83 | 89 | 100 | |
Services | 97 | 95 | 100 | |
Groceries | 91 | 98 | 100 | |
Health | 98 | 99 | 100 | |
Housing | 54 | 73 | 100 | |
Transportation | 92 | 98 | 100 | |
Utilities | 111 | 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 Charles City is $99,200.
The Median Rent in Charles City is $578.
The Median Income in Charles City is $44,775.
The Home Value To Income in Charles City is 2.2x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Charles City is 0.15x.
Statistic | Charles City | Iowa | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $99,200 | $160,700 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $578 | $845 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $44,775 | $65,429 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 2.2x | 2.5x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.15x | 0.15x | 0.2x |
Item | Charles City | Iowa |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $1.05 | $1.06 |
Movie | $9.5 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $10.0 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $19.56 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $24.89 | $39.05 |
Item | Charles City | Iowa |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $3.78 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.53 | $1.39 |
Milk | $1.88 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $2.63 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $12.07 | $10.62 |
Beer | $8.53 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $2.59 | $2.34 |
Item | Charles City | Iowa |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $91.44 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $126.17 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $93.33 | $99.13 |
Item | Charles City | Iowa |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.01 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $45.42 | $50.07 |
Item | Charles City | Iowa |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $197.53 | $167.67 |
Phone | $180.82 | $175.64 |