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Iowa city profile

What Is It Like to Live in Iowa City?

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

Value score

17

30th best value in Iowa

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

Overall livability

28

28th overall in Iowa

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

Iowa City is home to about 74,240 people. A typical home runs $230,700 and a household earns around $51,900, a price-to-income ratio of 4.4. Among Iowa's largest cities, it ranks 30th for value and 28th overall.

Iowa City at a glance

Median home price

$230,700

30th in IA of 30

Median rent

$1,030/mo

Median household income

$51,900

Home price to income

4.4x

Unemployment

5.0%

21st in IA of 30

School rating

3/10

27th in IA of 30

Air quality (AQI)

45

0th in IA of 30

Walk score

8/100

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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.