Best Life Index › States › Iowa › Cities › Cedar Rapids

Iowa city profile

What Is It Like to Live in Cedar Rapids?

What it costs to live in Cedar Rapids, and how it compares with other Iowa cities, in plain numbers.

Value score

58

10th best value in Iowa

How much you get for what you pay, versus other Iowa cities.

Overall livability

57

12th overall in Iowa

Cost, safety, schools, jobs and quality of life combined.

Cedar Rapids is home to about 136,512 people. A typical home runs $149,000 and a household earns around $63,200, a price-to-income ratio of 2.4. Among Iowa's largest cities, it ranks 10th for value and 12th overall.

Cedar Rapids at a glance

Median home price

$149,000

10th in IA of 30

Median rent

$836/mo

Median household income

$63,200

Home price to income

2.4x

Unemployment

3.9%

14th in IA of 30

School rating

5/10

12th in IA of 30

Air quality (AQI)

45

0th in IA of 30

Walk score

15/100

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‹ See all top Iowa cities ranked  ยท  Iowa state profile ›

Sources: Home prices and rent from Zillow; income, unemployment and commute from the U.S. Census; school ratings from state education data; crime from the FBI; air quality from the EPA. City rankings are within Iowa only. Updated 2026.