Cost of living in Indianola 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 Indianola 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 Indianola is 92, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Indianola is 0.9x lower than the national average.
Indianola ranks as the #54 cheapest in Iowa out of 80.
Indianola ranks as the #1,974 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Indianola is $179,000.
The median income in Indianola is $67,206.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Indianola has an overall cost of living index of 92, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Iowa, Indianola has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than Iowa's index of 89.
The standard of living in Indianola ranks as #54 most affordable out of the 80 places we measured in Iowa. By definition, that implies Indianola ranks as the #26 most expensive place in the Hawkeye State.
For more reading on life in Indianola, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Indianola. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Indianola is 93.
The Groceries index in Indianola is 95.
The Health index in Indianola is 93.
The Housing index in Indianola is 79.
The Transportation index in Indianola is 100.
The Utilities index in Indianola is 89.
Living Expense | Indianola | Iowa | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 92 | 89 | 100 | |
Services | 93 | 95 | 100 | |
Groceries | 95 | 98 | 100 | |
Health | 93 | 99 | 100 | |
Housing | 79 | 73 | 100 | |
Transportation | 100 | 98 | 100 | |
Utilities | 89 | 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 Indianola is $179,000.
The Median Rent in Indianola is $832.
The Median Income in Indianola is $67,206.
The Home Value To Income in Indianola is 2.7x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Indianola is 0.15x.
Statistic | Indianola | Iowa | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $179,000 | $160,700 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $832 | $845 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $67,206 | $65,429 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 2.7x | 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 Indianola. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
West Des Moines, IA has a cost of living index of 99, 1.1x Indianola.
Ankeny, IA has a cost of living index of 96, 1.0x Indianola.
Ames, IA has a cost of living index of 99, 1.1x Indianola.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Indianola |
---|---|---|---|
West Des Moines, IA | 67,640 | 99 | 1.1x |
Ankeny, IA | 66,346 | 96 | 1.0x |
Ames, IA | 65,522 | 99 | 1.1x |
Urbandale, IA | 45,037 | 99 | 1.1x |
Waukee, IA | 23,441 | 95 | 1.0x |
Johnston, IA | 23,418 | 104 | 1.1x |
Altoona, IA | 19,345 | 93 | 1.0x |
Clive, IA | 18,323 | 102 | 1.1x |
Grimes, IA | 14,842 | 98 | 1.1x |
Norwalk, IA | 12,592 | 91 | 1.0x |