Cost of Living: Ottumwa, IA vs Houston, TX

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,184/mo in Ottumwa, IA versus $4,516/mo in Houston, TX. In the model, rent is about 13.94% of gross in Ottumwa, IA versus 19.13% in Houston, TX, so Ottumwa, IA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Ottumwa, IA
$4,184/mo
Income level: above
Take-home in Houston, TX
$4,516/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Ottumwa, IA
13.94%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Houston, TX
19.13%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Ottumwa, IA and Houston, TX.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Houston, TX
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Ottumwa, IA
  • Lower home prices: Ottumwa, IA
  • Higher median household income: Houston, TX

Cost of Living Index

Ottumwa, IA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Houston, TX: 92.1 (U.S. = 100)

Houston, TX has a lower cost-of-living index than Ottumwa, IA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Ottumwa, IA: $909/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Houston, TX: $1,248/mo

Median rent in Houston, TX is $339/mo higher than in Ottumwa, IA.

Median Home Price

Ottumwa, IA: $92,400 · Houston, TX: $253,400

Median home price in Houston, TX is $161,000 higher than in Ottumwa, IA.

Median Household Income

Ottumwa, IA: $56,994 · Houston, TX: $62,894

Houston, TX has a higher median household income than Ottumwa, IA by $5,900.

Ottumwa, IA overview · Houston, TX overview · Popular comparisons