Cost of Living: Waterloo, 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 Waterloo, IA versus $4,516/mo in Houston, TX. In the model, rent is about 13.06% of gross in Waterloo, IA versus 19.13% in Houston, TX, so Waterloo, IA tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Waterloo, IA and Houston, TX.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Houston, TX
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Waterloo, IA
- Lower home prices: Waterloo, IA
- Higher median household income: Houston, TX
Cost of Living Index
Waterloo, IA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Houston, TX: 92.1 (U.S. = 100)
Houston, TX 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) · Houston, TX: $1,248/mo
Median rent in Houston, TX is $396/mo higher than in Waterloo, IA.
Median Home Price
Waterloo, IA: $150,200 · Houston, TX: $253,400
Median home price in Houston, TX is $103,200 higher than in Waterloo, IA.
Median Household Income
Waterloo, IA: $56,344 · Houston, TX: $62,894
Houston, TX has a higher median household income than Waterloo, IA by $6,550.
Waterloo, IA overview · Houston, TX overview · Popular comparisons