Iowa City composite
62.2 /100
Grade A · weighted across 7 dims
Metro comparison
Iowa City vs Sioux City
Iowa City, IA and Sioux City, IA-NE-SD side by side, cost of living, rent, wages, crime, schools, childcare and environment, all from the same federal datasets so every number is directly comparable.
- 62.2
- Iowa City Life Score
- A
- Iowa City grade
- 66.7
- Sioux City Life Score
- A+
- Sioux City grade
Head-to-head verdict
Across the seven dimensions, Iowa City scores higher on 4 (wages, rent, safety, childcare) and Sioux City on 3 (cost of living, schools, environment). The radar shows the full shape; the tables below break out every figure.
Iowa City vs Sioux City across all seven dimensions (each scored 0–100 as a national percentile, bigger area = stronger overall)
Where each metro wins, and by how much
Every dimension is a national percentile (0–100). Each bar leans toward the stronger metro, a long lean is a decisive edge, a near-even split is a toss-up. The radar shows the overall shape; this shows the per-dimension margins.
◖ Iowa City Sioux City ◗
cost of living
67
93
wages
59
36
rent
74
72
safety
72
72
schools
45
45
childcare
64
64
environment
42
84
Iowa City and Sioux City differ across eleven dimensions of livability. Iowa City has a cost-of-living index of 91.5 vs Sioux City's 86.5 (national average = 100). Median salaries are $66,752 in Iowa City and $61,732 in Sioux City. A 2-bedroom averages $1,141/mo vs $1,154/mo.
How to read this matchup
Reading the Iowa City vs Sioux City Comparison
Iowa City (IA) and Sioux City (IA) are assembled here from the same federal data pipeline, BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, FBI Uniform Crime Reports, NCES public-school counts, and EPA environmental indicators, so every number on this page is directly comparable. The overall cost index reads 91.5 for Iowa City against 86.5 for Sioux City, a 5.1-point gap on a scale where 100 equals the U.S. average. HUD's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent, the figure used to set housing-choice voucher payment standards, is $1,141/mo in Iowa City and $1,154/mo in Sioux City, a $13/mo difference that compounds to $156 over a year.
On wages, BLS OES reports a median salary of $66,752 across 83,600 jobs in Iowa City against $61,732 across 69,160 jobs in Sioux City. Adjusted through the BEA cost-of-living lens, $100,000 earned in Iowa City carries the same local purchasing power as $94,476 in Sioux City - the most honest way to read the salary headline, because nominal wages and rents move together in tight metros. State-level violent crime, the most reliable geographic tier FBI UCR publishes, is 238.5 per 100,000 residents in IA vs 238.5 in IA, with property-crime rates of 1286.3 and 1286.3 respectively.
Schools are reported at the state tier by NCES: IA lists 1,326 public schools at a 14.8:1 student-teacher ratio, while IA lists 1,326 schools at 14.8:1, a signal of class-size staffing, though individual district and school-level variation within each state is substantial. Department of Labor center-based infant care runs $8,306/yr in the Iowa City area versus $8,306/yr in Sioux City - a line item that shifts the real cost-of-living picture for households with children under five far more than headline RPP does. When these pieces are read together rather than in isolation, Iowa City and Sioux City are not simply "cheaper" or "more expensive" - they trade across dimensions, and which metro wins depends on whether your household optimizes for rent, wages, schools, childcare, safety, or environment. Treat the tables below as inputs to that trade-off, not as a single ranking.
Sioux City composite
66.7 /100
Grade A+ · weighted across 7 dims
Cost-of-living gap
5.1 pts
Iowa City vs Sioux City BEA RPP
2-bed rent delta
$13 /mo
Sioux City priced higher
Composite life score on the national 0–100 scale
Iowa City
Iowa City composite (Grade A)
Sioux City
Sioux City composite (Grade A+)
Composite is a weighted roll-up of seven dimensions: cost (20%), wages (20%), rent (15%), safety (15%), schools (10%), childcare (10%), environment (10%). Each input normalized to a 0–100 percentile across all metros.
💰 Cost of Living BEA →
| Category | Iowa City | Sioux City |
|---|---|---|
| Overall RPP | 91.5 | 86.5 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 94.0 |
| Services | 83.7 | 82.7 |
| Rents | 84.0 | 57.8 |
Salary Equivalent Calculator
What salary in Sioux City gives the same purchasing power as your salary in Iowa City?
$
Equivalent in Sioux City:
$94,476
Based on BEA Regional Price Parities (Iowa City: 91.5, Sioux City: 86.5, national avg = 100).
🏠 Rent (Fair Market Rent) HUD →
| Bedrooms | Iowa City | Sioux City |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $880/mo | $796/mo |
| 1 Bedroom | $961/mo | $925/mo |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,141/mo | $1,154/mo |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,587/mo | $1,386/mo |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,914/mo | $1,528/mo |
💼 Wages & Employment BLS →
| Metric | Iowa City | Sioux City |
|---|---|---|
| Avg Median Salary | $66,752 | $61,732 |
| Total Employment | 83,600 | 69,160 |
🛡️ Crime Rates (state-level) FBI →
| Crime Type (per 100K) | Iowa City (IA) | Sioux City (IA) |
|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime | 238.5 | 238.5 |
| Property Crime | 1286.3 | 1286.3 |
🎓 Schools (state-level) NCES →
| Metric | IA | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Total Schools | 1,326 | 1,326 |
| Student-Teacher Ratio | 14.8:1 | 14.8:1 |
| Charter Schools | 0.3% | 0.3% |
👶 Childcare Costs (Annual Avg) (state-level) DOL →
| Age Group | IA | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Infant (Center) | $8,306/yr | $8,306/yr |
| Toddler (Center) | $7,157/yr | $7,157/yr |
| Preschool (Center) | $7,157/yr | $7,157/yr |
🌿 Environment (state-level) EPA →
| Metric | IA | IA |
|---|---|---|
| EPA Facilities | 546 | 546 |
| Water Systems | 1,077 | 1,077 |
| Superfund Sites | 25 | 25 |
| Water Violations | 729 | 729 |
Government-verified data - Air quality (EPA AQS), water safety (EPA SDWIS), healthcare access (HRSA), and disaster risk (FEMA NRI) are sourced directly from U.S. federal agencies. No crowdsourced estimates.
💨 Air Quality (EPA AQS) EPA AQS →
| Metric | Iowa City | Sioux City |
|---|---|---|
| Median AQI | 39.0 | 43.0 |
| Good Air Days | 70.8% | 78.9% |
| Unhealthy Air Days | 0 days | 0 days |
💧 Water Safety (EPA SDWIS, state-level) EPA SDWIS →
| Metric | IA | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Water Safety Score | 6/100 | 6/100 |
| Total Violations | 138,271 | 138,271 |
| Health-Based Violations | 27,946 | 27,946 |
| Systems with Violations | 95.2% | 95.2% |
🏥 Healthcare Access (HRSA, state-level) HRSA →
| Metric | IA | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare Access Score | 0/100 | 0/100 |
| Population in Shortage Area | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| HPSA Designations | 448 | 448 |
HPSA = Health Professional Shortage Area, designated by HRSA. Higher access score = better healthcare availability.
⚠️ Natural Disaster Risk (FEMA NRI, state-level) FEMA NRI →
| Metric | IA | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Disaster Safety Score | 77/100 | 77/100 |
| NRI Risk Score (avg county) | 39.7 | 39.7 |
| Expected Annual Loss Score | 47.9 | 47.9 |
FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) scores are county-level percentiles (0–100). Higher disaster safety score = lower relative risk. State-level values are county averages.
Crime, schools, childcare, and environment data shown at state level. Metro-specific data for these dimensions is not available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Iowa City more expensive than Sioux City? ▼
Iowa City has a cost of living index of 91.5 compared to Sioux City's 86.5 (national average = 100). Iowa City is 5.1 points above Sioux City on the BEA Regional Price Parity scale.
What is the rent difference between Iowa City and Sioux City? ▼
A 2-bedroom apartment averages $1,141/mo in Iowa City vs $1,154/mo in Sioux City, based on HUD Fair Market Rent data. Studios range from $880/mo to $796/mo.
How do salaries compare between Iowa City and Sioux City? ▼
The average median salary across all occupations is $66,752 in Iowa City and $61,732 in Sioux City, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. After adjusting for cost of living, $100,000 in Iowa City has the same purchasing power as $94,476 in Sioux City.
Is Iowa City or Sioux City safer? ▼
At the state level, IA has a violent crime rate of 238.5 per 100,000 residents compared to IA's 238.5 per 100,000. Property crime rates are 1286.3 vs 1286.3 per 100,000 respectively, based on FBI Uniform Crime Report data.
How do schools compare between Iowa City and Sioux City? ▼
IA has 1,326 public schools with an average student-teacher ratio of 14.8:1, while IA has 1,326 schools at 14.8:1. Charter schools make up 0.3% of IA schools vs 0.3% in IA. Data from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Where does the comparison data come from? ▼
All data comes from official U.S. government sources: Bureau of Economic Analysis (cost of living), HUD (fair market rents), BLS (wages), FBI UCR (crime), NCES (schools), Department of Labor (childcare), EPA (environment, air quality, water safety), HRSA (healthcare access), and FEMA NRI (disaster risk). No crowdsourced estimates or proprietary ratings are used.
Research Guides
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Data from BEA, HUD, FBI UCR, BLS OES, NCES, DOL, EPA AQS, EPA SDWIS, HRSA, and FEMA NRI. Not affiliated with the U.S. Government.
Disclaimer: This comparison is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or relocation advice. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
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Data sourced from official public datasets, current as of 2026. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCompare Editorial