Best Life Index › States › Iowa › Cities › Council Bluffs

Iowa city profile

What Is It Like to Live in Council Bluffs?

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

Value score

56

14th best value in Iowa

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

Overall livability

51

14th overall in Iowa

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

Council Bluffs is home to about 62,617 people. A typical home runs $131,000 and a household earns around $57,700, a price-to-income ratio of 2.3. Among Iowa's largest cities, it ranks 14th for value and 14th overall.

Council Bluffs at a glance

Median home price

$131,000

9th in IA of 30

Median rent

$884/mo

Median household income

$57,700

Home price to income

2.3x

Unemployment

4.8%

18th in IA of 30

School rating

4/10

16th in IA of 30

Air quality (AQI)

45

0th in IA of 30

Walk score

6/100

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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.