Cost comparison
Compare rent, housing, utilities, groceries, salary needs, and move score across the city profiles currently available in LifeAtlas.
Iowa
West Des Moines is a supplemental starter city profile for the Des Moines-area jobs and family market in Iowa, useful for route coverage and 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 West Des Moines has the lower starter rent. Differences are shown as Cedar Falls minus West Des Moines.
| Metric | West Des Moines | Cedar Falls | Difference | Advantage | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,341 | $1,393 | +$52 | West Des Moines | West Des Moines has the lower median rent. |
| Home price | $324,340 | $265,455 | -$58,885 | Cedar Falls | Cedar Falls has the lower home price. |
| Utilities | $175/mo | $181/mo | +$6/mo | West Des Moines | West Des Moines has the lower utilities. |
| Groceries index | 97 | 99 | +2 | West Des Moines | West Des Moines has the lower groceries index. |
| Salary needed | $47,970 | $43,173 | -$4,797 | 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. |