Cost of living in Indianola research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Indianola is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Iowa, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Indianola is 90, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Indianola is 0.9x lower than the national average.
Indianola ranks as the #39 cheapest in Iowa out of 85.
Indianola ranks as the #1,206 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Indianola is $305,301.
The median income in Indianola is $78,125.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Indianola has an overall cost of living index of 90, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Iowa, Indianola has a cost of living index that's 1.0x lower than Iowa's index of 91.
The standard of living in Indianola ranks as #39 most affordable out of the 85 places we measured in Iowa. By definition, that implies Indianola ranks as the #46 most expensive place in the Hawkeye State.
For more reading on life in Indianola, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Indianola. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Indianola is 96.
The Groceries index in Indianola is 97.
The Health index in Indianola is 95.
The Housing index in Indianola is 88.
The Transportation index in Indianola is 90.
The Utilities index in Indianola is 89.
| Living Expense | Indianola | Iowa | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 90 | 91 | 100 | |
| Services | 96 | 97 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 97 | 97 | 100 | |
| Health | 95 | 98 | 100 | |
| Housing | 88 | 75 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 90 | 100 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 89 | 95 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Iowa, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Indianola is $305,301.
The Median Rent in Indianola is $966.
The Median Income in Indianola is $78,125.
The Home Value To Income in Indianola is 3.9x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Indianola is 0.15x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Indianola. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Ankeny, IA has a cost of living index of 101, 1.1x Indianola.
West Des Moines, IA has a cost of living index of 102, 1.1x Indianola.
Ames, IA has a cost of living index of 104, 1.2x Indianola.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Indianola | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Ankeny, IA | 70,542 | 101 | 1.1x | 
| West Des Moines, IA | 69,893 | 102 | 1.1x | 
| Ames, IA | 66,112 | 104 | 1.2x | 
| Urbandale, IA | 46,026 | 103 | 1.1x | 
| Waukee, IA | 26,974 | 106 | 1.2x | 
| Johnston, IA | 24,196 | 109 | 1.2x | 
| Altoona, IA | 20,592 | 97 | 1.1x | 
| Clive, IA | 18,776 | 109 | 1.2x | 
| Grimes, IA | 15,810 | 99 | 1.1x | 
| Norwalk, IA | 13,610 | 99 | 1.1x |