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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Dollar for dollar, few states match Iowa's value. 2 out of 2 cities undercut the national cost index of 112. Leading the pack: Des Moines at index 88, where median rent of $1,141/month saves renters $9,048/year versus the national median.
#1 Ranked: Des Moines — cost index 88, rent $1,141/mo, income $63,966
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
Dollar for dollar, few states match Iowa's value. 2 out of 2 cities undercut the national cost index of 112. Leading the pack: Des Moines at index 88, where median rent of $1,141/month saves renters $9,048/year versus the national median.
Look, What does daily life actually cost in Des Moines? Start with the 21% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. And more often than not, on the category level, Housing (index 69) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 90) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $63,966 and homes at $204,843 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
The food & groceries sub-index is derived from overall cost of living with regional BLS price adjustments. A score of 86 (the top-10 average here) means food & groceries costs are about 14% below the national median. Des Moines leads at 86, followed by Cedar Rapids (86) and Cedar Rapids (86). Note: a low food & groceries index doesn't guarantee a low overall cost — check the full cost breakdown table below.
Flip the lens, and you get a different read: Iowa — Midwest stability with bargain-level costs. And as a general rule, the 2 cities we track here average a cost index of 88 and median income of $65,913. It's a clear buyer's market compared to national norms. The typical rent runs $1,150/month, which is $745 less than the national median (that's pre-tax, of course).
Bottom line: Des Moines leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. And from what we can tell, click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers.
| Rank | City | Food & Groceries Index | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Des Moines | 86 | 88 | $1,141 | Details |
| 2 | Cedar Rapids | 86 | 88 | $1,158 | Details |
210,381 residents · Iowa
In plain English: What does daily life actually cost in Des Moines? Start with the 21% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. And in most cases, on the category level, Housing (index 69) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 90) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $63,966 and homes at $204,843 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
135,958 residents · Iowa
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. That's more or less in line with the region. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $8,844 per year vs. the national median. That adds up much faster than people realize.
Cities are ranked by their food & groceries cost sub-index within Iowa. Each sub-index is derived from the overall cost of living with regional adjustment factors. 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.
Des Moines ranks #1 in Iowa for this analysis with a cost index of 88 and median income of $63,966.
Des Moines, IA has the lowest food & groceries index at 86, compared to the national average of 100.
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.
Des Moines (ranked #1) has a cost index of 88 and rent of $1,141/mo, while Cedar Rapids (ranked #2) has a cost index of 88 and rent of $1,158/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 Des Moines is $1,141/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $754 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Des Moines is $204,843, which is 3.2× 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.