Cost comparison
Compare rent, housing, utilities, groceries, salary needs, and move score across the city profiles currently available in LifeAtlas.
Iowa
Ames is a college-town and research market in Iowa, useful for starter comparisons around rent, housing, utilities, wages, benefits, insurance, and moving costs.
Iowa
Cedar Falls is a supplemental starter city profile for the college and regional jobs market in Iowa, useful for route coverage and starter comparisons around rent, housing, utilities, wages, benefits, insurance, and moving costs.
Comparison
Cedar Falls has the lower salary-needed estimate, while Ames has the lower starter rent. Differences are shown as Cedar Falls minus Ames.
| Metric | Ames | Cedar Falls | Difference | Advantage | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $924 | $1,393 | +$469 | Ames | Ames has the lower median rent. |
| Home price | $197,800 | $265,455 | +$67,655 | Ames | Ames has the lower home price. |
| Utilities | $174/mo | $181/mo | +$7/mo | Ames | Ames has the lower utilities. |
| Groceries index | 97 | 99 | +2 | Ames | Ames has the lower groceries index. |
| Salary needed | $46,800 | $43,173 | -$3,627 | Cedar Falls | Cedar Falls has the lower salary needed. |
| Move score | 84/100 | 88/100 | +4 | Cedar Falls | Cedar Falls has the higher move score. |