Cost of Living: Waterloo, IA vs Philadelphia, PA

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 $4,337/mo in Philadelphia, PA. In the model, rent is about 13.06% of gross in Waterloo, IA versus 19.29% in Philadelphia, PA, so Waterloo, IA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Waterloo, IA
$4,184/mo
Income level: above
Take-home in Philadelphia, PA
$4,337/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Waterloo, IA
13.06%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Philadelphia, PA
19.29%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Waterloo, IA and Philadelphia, PA.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Waterloo, IA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Philadelphia, PA: 95.2 (U.S. = 100)

Philadelphia, PA 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) · Philadelphia, PA: $1,257/mo

Median rent in Philadelphia, PA is $405/mo higher than in Waterloo, IA.

Median Home Price

Waterloo, IA: $150,200 · Philadelphia, PA: $232,400

Median home price in Philadelphia, PA is $82,200 higher than in Waterloo, IA.

Median Household Income

Waterloo, IA: $56,344 · Philadelphia, PA: $60,698

Philadelphia, PA has a higher median household income than Waterloo, IA by $4,354.

Waterloo, IA overview · Philadelphia, PA overview · Popular comparisons