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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The numbers are clear: 2 of 2 cities in Iowa beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 112. And most of the time, it lines up with what you'd expect. Cedar Rapids stands out at 88 on the index, with rent of $1,158/month and household income of $67,859. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS…
#1 Ranked: Cedar Rapids — cost index 88, rent $1,158/mo, income $67,859
Cedar Rapids rent up 8% over the past year
2 of 2 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 112
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
| Rank | City | Value Ratio | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cedar Rapids | 771 | 88 | $1,158 | Details |
| 2 | Des Moines | 727 | 88 | $1,141 | Details |
The numbers are clear: 2 of 2 cities in Iowa beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 112. And most of the time, it lines up with what you'd expect. Cedar Rapids stands out at 88 on the index, with rent of $1,158/month and household income of $67,859. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
Here's Cedar Rapids by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 88. Rent: $1,158/month. Income: $67,859/year. Home price: $204,214. Population: 135,958. The strongest category is Housing at 70; the most expensive is Healthcare at 90. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $8,844 per year vs. the national median. That's the kind of stat homebuyers should print out for their mortgage meetings.
If you're ready to act on this, three things to do next: 1) Click into the city pages for the top 3 and check rent trends — direction matters more than the snapshot. 2) Run your income through the salary calculator for a personalized cost comparison. 3) Compare your top two picks head-to-head on our comparison page. Take it or leave it — the data is what it is. The data is here; the decision is yours.
135,958 residents · Iowa
What does daily life actually cost in Cedar Rapids? Start with the 20% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. On the category level, Housing (index 70) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 90) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $67,859 and homes at $204,214 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
210,381 residents · Iowa
The #2 spot goes to Des Moines, and the breakdown explains why. And as far as the data shows, renters here pay $1,141/month — saving renters $9,048 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 69, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 90. At a 21% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget.
Value ratio = median household income ÷ cost of living index. A higher ratio means each dollar of income buys more locally. This captures purchasing power better than looking at income or cost alone. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Cedar Rapids ranks #1 in Iowa for this analysis with a cost index of 88 and median income of $67,859.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Cedar Rapids (ranked #1) has a cost index of 88 and rent of $1,158/mo, while Des Moines (ranked #2) has a cost index of 88 and rent of $1,141/mo — a 0-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Cedar Rapids is $1,158/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $737 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Cedar Rapids is $204,214, which is 3.0× the local median income. That's within the standard 3.5× affordability rule for most local earners. The national median home price is $467,370.
Iowa has a 5.7% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 6.94%, and the effective property tax rate is 1.43%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.