Cost of living in Iowa Falls 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 Iowa Falls 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 Iowa Falls is 83, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Iowa Falls is 0.8x lower than the national average.
Iowa Falls ranks as the #14 cheapest in Iowa out of 80.
Iowa Falls ranks as the #491 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Iowa Falls is $94,900.
The median income in Iowa Falls is $45,896.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Iowa Falls has an overall cost of living index of 83, which is 0.8x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Iowa, Iowa Falls has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Iowa's index of 89.
The standard of living in Iowa Falls ranks as #14 most affordable out of the 80 places we measured in Iowa. By definition, that implies Iowa Falls ranks as the #66 most expensive place in the Hawkeye State.
For more reading on life in Iowa Falls, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Iowa Falls. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Iowa Falls is 102.
The Groceries index in Iowa Falls is 99.
The Health index in Iowa Falls is 99.
The Housing index in Iowa Falls is 54.
The Transportation index in Iowa Falls is 105.
The Utilities index in Iowa Falls is 93.
Living Expense | Iowa Falls | Iowa | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 83 | 89 | 100 | |
Services | 102 | 95 | 100 | |
Groceries | 99 | 98 | 100 | |
Health | 99 | 99 | 100 | |
Housing | 54 | 73 | 100 | |
Transportation | 105 | 98 | 100 | |
Utilities | 93 | 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 Iowa Falls is $94,900.
The Median Rent in Iowa Falls is $826.
The Median Income in Iowa Falls is $45,896.
The Home Value To Income in Iowa Falls is 2.1x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Iowa Falls is 0.22x.
Statistic | Iowa Falls | Iowa | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $94,900 | $160,700 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $826 | $845 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $45,896 | $65,429 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 2.1x | 2.5x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.22x | 0.15x | 0.2x |
Item | Iowa Falls | Iowa |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $1.61 | $1.06 |
Movie | $8.62 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $15.57 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $22.76 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $31.95 | $39.05 |
Item | Iowa Falls | Iowa |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $4.39 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.64 | $1.39 |
Milk | $2.2 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $2.86 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $9.81 | $10.62 |
Beer | $8.86 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $2.53 | $2.34 |
Item | Iowa Falls | Iowa |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $109.17 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $127.0 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $89.67 | $99.13 |
Item | Iowa Falls | Iowa |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.18 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $56.81 | $50.07 |
Item | Iowa Falls | Iowa |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $143.46 | $167.67 |
Phone | $180.82 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Iowa Falls. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Waterloo, IA has a cost of living index of 84, 1.0x Iowa Falls.
Ames, IA has a cost of living index of 99, 1.2x Iowa Falls.
Cedar Falls, IA has a cost of living index of 93, 1.1x Iowa Falls.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Iowa Falls |
---|---|---|---|
Waterloo, IA | 67,695 | 84 | 1.0x |
Ames, IA | 65,522 | 99 | 1.2x |
Cedar Falls, IA | 40,500 | 93 | 1.1x |
Marshalltown, IA | 27,570 | 88 | 1.1x |
Fort Dodge, IA | 24,826 | 85 | 1.0x |
Boone, IA | 12,509 | 87 | 1.0x |
Waverly, IA | 10,278 | 90 | 1.1x |
Clear Lake, IA | 7,673 | 90 | 1.1x |
Nevada, IA | 7,017 | 91 | 1.1x |