Cost of Living: Waterloo, IA vs Phoenix, AZ

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 $4,370/mo in Phoenix, AZ. In the model, rent is about 13.06% of gross in Waterloo, IA versus 21.24% in Phoenix, AZ, so Waterloo, IA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Waterloo, IA
$4,184/mo
Income level: above
Take-home in Phoenix, AZ
$4,370/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Waterloo, IA
13.06%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Phoenix, AZ
21.24%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Waterloo, IA and Phoenix, AZ.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Waterloo, IA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Phoenix, AZ: 102.4 (U.S. = 100)

Waterloo, IA has a lower cost-of-living index than Phoenix, AZ, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Waterloo, IA: $852/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Phoenix, AZ: $1,385/mo

Median rent in Phoenix, AZ is $533/mo higher than in Waterloo, IA.

Median Home Price

Waterloo, IA: $150,200 · Phoenix, AZ: $381,900

Median home price in Phoenix, AZ is $231,700 higher than in Waterloo, IA.

Median Household Income

Waterloo, IA: $56,344 · Phoenix, AZ: $77,041

Phoenix, AZ has a higher median household income than Waterloo, IA by $20,697.

Waterloo, IA overview · Phoenix, AZ overview · Popular comparisons