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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 111. Des Moines stands out at 67 on the index, with rent of $1,141/month and household income of $63,966. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data (that's pre-tax, of course).
#1 Ranked: Des Moines — cost index 67, rent $1,141/mo, income $63,966
2 of 2 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 111
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
The numbers are clear: 2 of 2 cities in Iowa beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. Des Moines stands out at 67 on the index, with rent of $1,141/month and household income of $63,966. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data (that's pre-tax, of course).
Why Des Moines ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 67 on the cost index, residents save roughly 44% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,141/month while the median household pulls in $63,966/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 67, though Healthcare (93) lags behind. Home prices average $204,843 — $262,527 below the national median.
Now, the part that complicates the narrative: Iowa — Midwest stability with bargain-level costs. The 2 cities we track here average a cost index of 68 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.
Bottom line: Des Moines leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. 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 | Housing Index | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Des Moines | 67 | 67 | $1,141 | Details |
| 2 | Cedar Rapids | 68 | 68 | $1,158 | Details |
210,381 residents · Iowa
A closer look at Des Moines: the cost index of 67 breaks down to a Housing index of 67 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 93 (weakest). Median rent is $1,141/month — 40% below the national median — while household income sits at $63,966, meaning locals spend about 21% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
135,958 residents · Iowa
A closer look at Cedar Rapids: the cost index of 68 breaks down to a Housing index of 68 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 94 (weakest). Median rent is $1,158/month — 39% below the national median — while household income sits at $67,859, meaning locals spend about 20% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
Cities are ranked by their housing 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 67 and median income of $63,966.
Des Moines, IA has the lowest housing index at 67, 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 67 and rent of $1,141/mo, while Cedar Rapids (ranked #2) has a cost index of 68 and rent of $1,158/mo — a 1-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.