Cost of Living: Waterloo, IA vs Des Moines, IA
Quick rent-and-take-home comparison
Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,184/mo in Waterloo, IA versus $4,184/mo in Des Moines, IA. In the model, rent is about 13.06% of gross in Waterloo, IA versus 15.36% in Des Moines, IA, so Waterloo, IA tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Waterloo, IA and Des Moines, IA.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Des Moines, IA
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Waterloo, IA
- Lower home prices: Waterloo, IA
- Higher median household income: Des Moines, IA
Cost of Living Index
Waterloo, IA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Des Moines, IA: 87.6 (U.S. = 100)
Des Moines, IA has a lower cost-of-living index than Waterloo, IA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
Waterloo, IA: $852/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Des Moines, IA: $1,002/mo
Median rent in Des Moines, IA is $150/mo higher than in Waterloo, IA.
Median Home Price
Waterloo, IA: $150,200 · Des Moines, IA: $183,700
Median home price in Des Moines, IA is $33,500 higher than in Waterloo, IA.
Median Household Income
Waterloo, IA: $56,344 · Des Moines, IA: $63,966
Des Moines, IA has a higher median household income than Waterloo, IA by $7,622.
Waterloo, IA overview · Des Moines, IA overview · Popular comparisons