Cost of living in Pleasant Hill 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 Pleasant Hill 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 Pleasant Hill is 102, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Pleasant Hill is 1.0x higher than the national average.
Pleasant Hill ranks as the #72 cheapest in Iowa out of 85.
Pleasant Hill ranks as the #2,846 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Pleasant Hill is $302,702.
The median income in Pleasant Hill is $86,890.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Pleasant Hill has an overall cost of living index of 102, which is 1.0x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Iowa, Pleasant Hill has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Iowa's index of 90.
The standard of living in Pleasant Hill ranks as #72 most affordable out of the 85 places we measured in Iowa. By definition, that implies Pleasant Hill ranks as the #13 most expensive place in the Hawkeye State.
For more reading on life in Pleasant Hill, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Pleasant Hill. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Pleasant Hill is 97.
The Groceries index in Pleasant Hill is 100.
The Health index in Pleasant Hill is 94.
The Housing index in Pleasant Hill is 116.
The Transportation index in Pleasant Hill is 92.
The Utilities index in Pleasant Hill is 88.
| Living Expense | Pleasant Hill | Iowa | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 102 | 90 | 100 | |
| Services | 97 | 96 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 100 | 97 | 100 | |
| Health | 94 | 99 | 100 | |
| Housing | 116 | 75 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 92 | 99 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 88 | 94 | 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 Pleasant Hill is $302,702.
The Median Rent in Pleasant Hill is $1,204.
The Median Income in Pleasant Hill is $86,890.
The Home Value To Income in Pleasant Hill is 3.5x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Pleasant Hill is 0.17x.
| Statistic | Pleasant Hill | Iowa | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $302,702 | $230,258 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,204 | $949 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $86,890 | $73,147 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 3.5x | 3.1x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.17x | 0.16x | 0.21x |
| Item | Pleasant Hill | Iowa |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.35 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $11.17 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $20.87 | $18 |
| Haircut | $20.63 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $41.0 | $45.56 |
| Item | Pleasant Hill | Iowa |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.36 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.38 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.82 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.81 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $11.84 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $9.82 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.69 | $3.7 |
| Item | Pleasant Hill | Iowa |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $125.17 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $129.05 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $96.6 | $113.29 |
| Item | Pleasant Hill | Iowa |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.19 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $52.49 | $59.92 |
| Item | Pleasant Hill | Iowa |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $154.71 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $186.87 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Pleasant Hill. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Des Moines, IA has a cost of living index of 89, 0.9x Pleasant Hill.
Ankeny, IA has a cost of living index of 101, 1.0x Pleasant Hill.
West Des Moines, IA has a cost of living index of 102, 1.0x Pleasant Hill.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Pleasant Hill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines, IA | 212,464 | 89 | 0.9x |
| Ankeny, IA | 70,542 | 101 | 1.0x |
| West Des Moines, IA | 69,893 | 102 | 1.0x |
| Urbandale, IA | 46,026 | 103 | 1.0x |
| Waukee, IA | 26,974 | 106 | 1.0x |
| Johnston, IA | 24,196 | 109 | 1.1x |
| Altoona, IA | 20,592 | 97 | 1.0x |
| Clive, IA | 18,776 | 109 | 1.1x |
| Indianola, IA | 15,918 | 90 | 0.9x |
| Grimes, IA | 15,810 | 99 | 1.0x |