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State cost profile · 2024 BEA RPP

Cost of Living in Iowa

Statewide Regional Price Parities for Iowa from the Bureau of Economic Analysis — overall, goods, services, and rents vs the U.S. average of 100, across 8 metro areas.

87.8
Statewide RPP
#49
of 51 states by cost
65.3
Rents RPP
8
Metro areas

The verdict

Iowa costs less than 96% of U.S. states — a statewide index of 87.8, 12.2% below the national average.

87.8
statewide cost index (US average = 100)
#49
of 51 states by overall cost
bottom 4%
nationally, among all states
65.3
rents RPP — the biggest budget swing

A $100,000 national salary carries the purchasing power of about $113,945 when earned in Iowa.

Reading the Iowa Cost of Living Picture

The Bureau of Economic Analysis places Iowa's statewide Regional Price Parity at 87.8 for the 2024 data year, 12.2% less expensive the U.S. baseline of 100. Inside the headline figure, the state's categories sit near average, while rents offer the biggest relief at 65.3. That internal spread — rather than the single state number — is what determines whether a household actually feels priced in or priced out.

Iowa captures 8 metro areas in the BEA dataset, and the range across them is meaningful. Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA leads on cost at 91.7, while Sioux City, IA-NE-SD sits at the opposite end at 86.5 — a gap of 5.2 index points inside a single state. For goods the state indexes at 93.7, for services 83.3, and for rents 65.3 — the rent figure tends to be the most volatile input and deserves its own line-item review before any relocation decision.

Over time, Iowa's statewide index has held steady within 0.4 points, suggesting a stable competitive position against other states. Practically, this means a $100,000 national salary delivers the purchasing power of about $113,945 of national buying power when earned inside Iowa, and a household relocating here would need roughly $87,762 to reproduce a $100K lifestyle. Pair these numbers with metro-specific wage data and rent tables before treating the statewide figure as your planning assumption.

87.8
Overall
93.7
Goods
83.3
Services
65.3
Rents

Iowa vs every U.S. state

Where this state sits in the national cost distribution

88 Top 96% higher than 4% of 51 US states

84–87: 2 US states (4%). Below this entry. 87–90: 7 US states (14%). This entry sits in this band. 90–93: 8 US states (16%). Above this entry. 93–96: 6 US states (12%). Above this entry. 96–99: 8 US states (16%). Above this entry. 99–102: 5 US states (10%). Above this entry. 102–105: 8 US states (16%). Above this entry. 105–108: 3 US states (6%). Above this entry. 108–111: 4 US states (8%). Above this entry. 111–114: 0 US states (0%). Above this entry. 114–117: 0 US states (0%). Above this entry. This state 84 117 every US state (incl. DC), bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities · 2024

Most Expensive in Iowa → Cheapest in Iowa →

Metro areas in Iowa, ranked by cost

# Metro area OverallGoodsServicesRents
1 Des Moines-West Des Moines 91.7 93.7 84.6 84.7
2 Iowa City 91.5 93.7 83.7 84.0
3 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island 89.1 94.2 89.9 68.3
4 Cedar Rapids 89.0 93.7 84.0 71.4
5 Ames 88.8 93.7 83.0 69.2
6 Dubuque 87.3 93.7 81.2 64.0
7 Waterloo-Cedar Falls 87.1 93.7 83.7 63.1
8 Sioux City 86.5 94.0 82.7 57.8

The Rents RPP index measures housing costs relative to the national average (100). For the federal 40th-percentile Fair Market Rent by bedroom size and county, see the HUD Fair Market Rents dataset.

RPP History

Year Overall
2008 87.4
2009 89.8
2010 91.1
2011 89.8
2012 90.8
2013 90.9
2014 91.0
2015 89.5
2016 89.4
2017 89.2
2018 91.8
2019 91.8
2020 90.6
2021 89.8
2022 88.4
2023 88.8
2024 87.8

Cost of Living Guides

Cheapest Metros to Live in 2026
Official BEA data on the most affordable areas
Most Expensive Cities: 2026 Rankings
What drives high costs and how to cope
Cost of Living vs Wages
Where your dollar goes furthest
Understanding Regional Price Parities
How BEA constructs RPP data

View all guides →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cost of living in Iowa? ▼
Iowa has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 87.8, meaning it is 12.2% less expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 93.7, services at 83.3, and rents at 65.3.
What salary in Iowa equals $100K nationally? ▼
To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $87,762 in Iowa. Conversely, $100K earned in Iowa has the purchasing power of $113,945 at the national average.
Is housing expensive in Iowa? ▼
Rents in Iowa are indexed at 65.3, which is 34.7% below the national average. The state is relatively affordable for renters.
Which is the most expensive metro in Iowa? ▼
The most expensive metro area in Iowa is Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA with an RPP of 91.7. The most affordable is Sioux City, IA-NE-SD at 86.5. There are 8 metro areas in Iowa with BEA price data.
Is Iowa getting more expensive? ▼
From 2008 to 2024, Iowa's overall cost index changed by +0.4 points (from 87.4 to 87.8). The cost of living has remained relatively stable.

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities Index where national average = 100

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.