Before you decide to relocate to Iowa, it’s important to research the exact cost of living around the state. And that’s what we’re going to help you do.
These are the places in Iowa that cost a pretty penny — the most expensive cities in the state.
We used Saturday Night Science to compare the 2019-2023 American Community Survey on cost of living for the 83 places in Iowa with more than 5,000 people.
After we saved up for months and could finally afford it, we landed on this list of the ten most expensive cities in Iowa for 2025.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Most Expensive Places To Live In Iowa For 2025
What’s the most expensive place to live in Iowa? Well, HomeSnacks crunched the numbers and discovered that Clive is the most expensive place to live in Iowa.
Oelwein (the cheapest place to live in Iowa) can show these guys how to live on a budget in the coming years. Read on for how these places had costs rise faster than inflation.
And if you already knew these places were expensive, check out some more reading about Iowa and the most expensive cities in the country:
The 10 Most Expensive Places To Live In Iowa For 2025
/10
Population: 18,776
Cost Of Living Index: 103
Median Income: $131,082
Average Home Price: $379,000
Home Price To Income Ratio: 2.9x
More on Clive: Data
The overall cost of living in Clive is 103. The median income in Clive comes in at $131,082 and the average home value is $379,000 for 2025.
/10
Population: 20,782
Cost Of Living Index: 102
Median Income: $103,933
Average Home Price: $300,000
Home Price To Income Ratio: 2.9x
More on North Liberty: Data
The overall cost of living in North Liberty is 102. The median income in North Liberty comes in at $103,933 and the average home value is $300,000 for 2025.
3. Asbury
/10
Population: 5,949
Cost Of Living Index: 101
Median Income: $130,071
Average Home Price: $312,400
Home Price To Income Ratio: 2.4x
More on Asbury:
The overall cost of living in Asbury is 101. The median income in Asbury comes in at $130,071 and the average home value is $312,400 for 2025.
/10
Population: 39,297
Cost Of Living Index: 100
Median Income: $102,917
Average Home Price: $295,600
Home Price To Income Ratio: 2.9x
More on Bettendorf: Data
The overall cost of living in Bettendorf is 100. The median income in Bettendorf comes in at $102,917 and the average home value is $295,600 for 2025.
/10
Population: 24,196
Cost Of Living Index: 100
Median Income: $103,430
Average Home Price: $346,200
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.3x
More on Johnston: Data
The overall cost of living in Johnston is 100. The median income in Johnston comes in at $103,430 and the average home value is $346,200 for 2025.
/10
Population: 22,846
Cost Of Living Index: 100
Median Income: $66,508
Average Home Price: $286,000
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.3x
More on Coralville: Data
The overall cost of living in Coralville is 100. The median income in Coralville comes in at $66,508 and the average home value is $286,000 for 2025.
7. Polk City
/10
Population: 5,833
Cost Of Living Index: 100
Median Income: $163,000
Average Home Price: $385,000
Home Price To Income Ratio: 2.4x
More on Polk City:
The overall cost of living in Polk City is 100. The median income in Polk City comes in at $163,000 and the average home value is $385,000 for 2025.
/10
Population: 6,743
Cost Of Living Index: 99
Median Income: $101,089
Average Home Price: $329,400
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.3x
More on Eldridge: Data
The overall cost of living in Eldridge is 99. The median income in Eldridge comes in at $101,089 and the average home value is $329,400 for 2025.
/10
Population: 75,264
Cost Of Living Index: 98
Median Income: $57,533
Average Home Price: $273,600
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.8x
More on Iowa City: Data
The overall cost of living in Iowa City is 98. The median income in Iowa City comes in at $57,533 and the average home value is $273,600 for 2025.
/10
Population: 66,112
Cost Of Living Index: 98
Median Income: $60,102
Average Home Price: $263,800
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.4x
More on Ames: Data
The overall cost of living in Ames is 98. The median income in Ames comes in at $60,102 and the average home value is $263,800 for 2025.
Methodology: How We Determined The Most Expensive Places To Live In The Hawkeye State For 2025
The two most important things to think about when it comes to being able to afford a city in Iowa are:
- How much money do I make?
- How much do I have to spend to live there?
You need to understand your costs in the context of how much money you make.
For example, if the median household earns $100,000 and spends $40,000 on housing, it’s actually cheaper to live there than a place with a median income of $50,000 and housing costs of $21,000. You might spend more on housing, but you have more money overall to play with.
With that example in mind, we derived several statistics from the latest Census American Community Survey 2019-2023 around incomes and costs. They are:
- Overall Cost Of Living Index
- Median Home Price / Median Income (lower is better)
- Median Income / Median Rent (Higher is better)
- Median Home Price
You can then compare these metrics in each of the places in Iowa to figure out which is the most expensive.
You are left with a “Cost of Living Index” by taking the average rank of each of these metrics for each city.
So we used that cost of living index to rank all of the 83 places in Iowa that have more than 5,000 people.
The place with the highest cost of living in Iowa according to the data is Clive. We updated this article for 2025. This article is our tenth time ranking the most expensive places to live in Iowa.
Summary: Taking A Chunk Out Of Your Paycheck In Iowa For 2025
Well, there you have it, the places in Iowa that have the highest cost of living, with Clive ranking as the most expensive city in the Hawkeye State.
The most expensive cities in Iowa are Clive, North Liberty, Asbury, Bettendorf, Johnston, Coralville, Polk City, Eldridge, Iowa City, and Ames.
Here’s a look at the most affordable cities in Iowa according to the data:
- Oelwein
- Centerville
- Osceola
For more Iowa reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Iowa
- Cheapest Places To Live In Iowa
- Most Dangerous Cities In Iowa
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Iowa
- Safest Places In Iowa
- Worst Places To Live In Iowa
Most Expensive Cities In Iowa
| Rank | City | Cost Of Living | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price | Home/Income Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clive | 103 | 18,776 | $131,082 | $379,000 | 2.9x |
| 2 | North Liberty | 102 | 20,782 | $103,933 | $300,000 | 2.9x |
| 3 | Asbury | 101 | 5,949 | $130,071 | $312,400 | 2.4x |
| 4 | Bettendorf | 100 | 39,297 | $102,917 | $295,600 | 2.9x |
| 5 | Johnston | 100 | 24,196 | $103,430 | $346,200 | 3.3x |
| 6 | Coralville | 100 | 22,846 | $66,508 | $286,000 | 4.3x |
| 7 | Polk City | 100 | 5,833 | $163,000 | $385,000 | 2.4x |
| 8 | Eldridge | 99 | 6,743 | $101,089 | $329,400 | 3.3x |
| 9 | Iowa City | 98 | 75,264 | $57,533 | $273,600 | 4.8x |
| 10 | Ames | 98 | 66,112 | $60,102 | $263,800 | 4.4x |
| 11 | West Des Moines | 96 | 69,893 | $84,925 | $286,300 | 3.4x |
| 12 | Waukee | 96 | 26,974 | $106,728 | $328,200 | 3.1x |
| 13 | Windsor Heights | 96 | 5,171 | $89,083 | $251,800 | 2.8x |
| 14 | Ankeny | 95 | 70,542 | $106,603 | $311,300 | 2.9x |
| 15 | Grimes | 95 | 15,810 | $104,497 | $281,000 | 2.7x |
| 16 | Pleasant Hill | 95 | 10,796 | $86,890 | $284,100 | 3.3x |
| 17 | Urbandale | 94 | 46,026 | $113,086 | $318,800 | 2.8x |
| 18 | Pella | 94 | 10,624 | $81,201 | $259,600 | 3.2x |
| 19 | Bondurant | 94 | 8,061 | $128,341 | $288,600 | 2.2x |
| 20 | Marion | 93 | 41,690 | $87,105 | $230,800 | 2.6x |
| 21 | Altoona | 93 | 20,592 | $87,123 | $257,300 | 3.0x |
| 22 | Dubuque | 92 | 59,271 | $64,985 | $193,100 | 3.0x |
| 23 | Carroll | 92 | 10,261 | $59,323 | $184,100 | 3.1x |
| 24 | Sioux Center | 92 | 8,335 | $87,555 | $275,900 | 3.2x |
| 25 | Spirit Lake | 92 | 5,469 | $73,627 | $218,400 | 3.0x |
| 26 | Cedar Rapids | 91 | 136,859 | $67,859 | $177,100 | 2.6x |
| 27 | Davenport | 91 | 101,083 | $64,497 | $162,900 | 2.5x |
| 28 | Cedar Falls | 91 | 40,662 | $74,165 | $252,500 | 3.4x |
| 29 | Nevada | 91 | 6,952 | $75,221 | $177,800 | 2.4x |
| 30 | Norwalk | 90 | 13,610 | $94,583 | $275,700 | 2.9x |
| 31 | Washington | 90 | 7,314 | $56,536 | $144,500 | 2.6x |
| 32 | Muscatine | 89 | 23,567 | $59,332 | $146,900 | 2.5x |
| 33 | Mount Pleasant | 89 | 9,093 | $59,216 | $145,600 | 2.5x |
| 34 | Clear Lake | 89 | 7,603 | $70,278 | $235,100 | 3.3x |
| 35 | Hiawatha | 89 | 7,178 | $67,628 | $210,200 | 3.1x |
| 36 | Orange City | 89 | 6,312 | $81,667 | $245,300 | 3.0x |
| 37 | Adel | 89 | 6,259 | $96,905 | $320,500 | 3.3x |
| 38 | Council Bluffs | 88 | 62,564 | $64,092 | $164,300 | 2.6x |
| 39 | Boone | 88 | 12,445 | $67,269 | $156,400 | 2.3x |
| 40 | Winterset | 88 | 5,384 | $69,268 | $181,500 | 2.6x |
| 41 | Glenwood | 88 | 5,118 | $69,320 | $193,800 | 2.8x |
| 42 | Des Moines | 87 | 212,464 | $63,966 | $183,700 | 2.9x |
| 43 | Indianola | 87 | 15,918 | $78,125 | $228,100 | 2.9x |
| 44 | Spencer | 87 | 11,393 | $57,068 | $178,300 | 3.1x |
| 45 | Perry | 87 | 7,928 | $63,983 | $122,100 | 1.9x |
| 46 | Webster City | 87 | 7,769 | $65,844 | $115,400 | 1.8x |
| 47 | Maquoketa | 87 | 6,105 | $56,039 | $126,800 | 2.3x |
| 48 | Algona | 87 | 5,414 | $52,542 | $156,200 | 3.0x |
| 49 | Iowa Falls | 87 | 5,062 | $53,051 | $106,300 | 2.0x |
| 50 | Marshalltown | 86 | 27,491 | $68,854 | $117,100 | 1.7x |
| 51 | Mason City | 86 | 27,135 | $62,369 | $130,000 | 2.1x |
| 52 | Ottumwa | 86 | 25,352 | $56,994 | $92,400 | 1.6x |
| 53 | Le Mars | 86 | 10,597 | $72,381 | $202,200 | 2.8x |
| 54 | Waverly | 86 | 10,446 | $78,429 | $215,200 | 2.7x |
| 55 | Fort Madison | 86 | 10,221 | $49,359 | $95,900 | 1.9x |
| 56 | Fairfield | 86 | 9,438 | $48,302 | $152,900 | 3.2x |
| 57 | Decorah | 86 | 7,597 | $62,177 | $234,600 | 3.8x |
| 58 | Estherville | 86 | 5,865 | $54,624 | $96,300 | 1.8x |
| 59 | Anamosa | 86 | 5,553 | $56,167 | $164,900 | 2.9x |
| 60 | Sheldon | 86 | 5,386 | $68,448 | $173,600 | 2.5x |
| 61 | Manchester | 86 | 5,144 | $58,578 | $130,500 | 2.2x |
| 62 | Sioux City | 85 | 85,651 | $65,473 | $162,600 | 2.5x |
| 63 | Grinnell | 85 | 9,527 | $64,426 | $191,700 | 3.0x |
| 64 | Clinton | 84 | 24,425 | $57,493 | $115,400 | 2.0x |
| 65 | Burlington | 84 | 23,800 | $55,274 | $115,800 | 2.1x |
| 66 | Newton | 84 | 15,696 | $56,321 | $151,600 | 2.7x |
| 67 | Storm Lake | 84 | 11,275 | $58,341 | $163,600 | 2.8x |
| 68 | Charles City | 84 | 7,321 | $56,734 | $118,900 | 2.1x |
| 69 | Atlantic | 84 | 6,773 | $57,486 | $134,900 | 2.3x |
| 70 | Fort Dodge | 83 | 24,788 | $61,769 | $128,900 | 2.1x |
| 71 | Knoxville | 82 | 7,493 | $70,136 | $147,600 | 2.1x |
| 72 | Clarinda | 82 | 5,366 | $50,644 | $112,200 | 2.2x |
| 73 | Waterloo | 81 | 66,947 | $56,344 | $150,200 | 2.7x |
| 74 | Keokuk | 81 | 9,748 | $49,340 | $93,700 | 1.9x |
| 75 | Denison | 81 | 8,247 | $63,850 | $137,600 | 2.2x |
| 76 | Creston | 81 | 7,466 | $50,752 | $112,600 | 2.2x |
| 77 | Cherokee | 81 | 5,157 | $48,693 | $119,400 | 2.5x |
| 78 | Independence | 80 | 6,149 | $72,250 | $156,900 | 2.2x |
| 79 | Red Oak | 80 | 5,542 | $52,996 | $91,600 | 1.7x |
| 80 | Oskaloosa | 79 | 11,492 | $62,172 | $128,900 | 2.1x |
| 81 | Osceola | 79 | 5,495 | $62,363 | $145,300 | 2.3x |
| 82 | Centerville | 78 | 5,377 | $41,472 | $99,000 | 2.4x |
| 83 | Oelwein | 75 | 5,878 | $49,821 | $96,800 | 1.9x |