Overall
Ohio feels cheaper overall
Ohio has the lower cost-of-living index, beating Iowa by 0.0 points on the overall affordability baseline.
View detailed comparison
Cost of Living Comparison
Quality of Life
Iowa vs Ohio: Cost of Living
Ohio is cheaper overall by 0.0 cost-of-living points, but Iowa has lower median home values.
Iowa
IA • Midwest
91.0
Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Ohio
OH • Midwest
91.0
Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Visual Comparison
Iowa
91.0
Ohio
91.0
Difference: 0.0 points — Ohio leads.
Overview
A fast-reading view of the tradeoffs behind the raw cost numbers.
Living Costs
Housing
pay about 1.1x more for a home
Iowa has the lower median home value, while buying in Ohio costs materially more at the median.
View detailed comparisonRent Pressure
Iowa puts less pressure on a median paycheck
Median rent takes a smaller share of household income in Iowa than in Ohio, which makes monthly budgeting easier.
View detailed comparisonTaxes
Ohio keeps more income after state tax
Ohio has the lower top state income tax rate, which softens the total cost picture even when prices are close.
View detailed comparisonCost Stack
Iowa
Overall Affordability
Cost of living index
91.0
Regional price parity
90.4
Regular gas price
$3.482/gal
Electricity price
12.83 c/kWh
Housing
Median gross rent
$914/mo
Median home value
$173,300
Owner costs with mortgage
-
Owner costs without mortgage
-
Taxes
State income tax
6.00%
State sales tax
6.00%
Property tax
1.39%
Income
Median household income
$70,571
Income after median rent
$4,967
Minimum wage
$7.25/hr
Laws
Gun laws
Permissive
Alcohol system
Control State
Marijuana status
Medical
Ohio
Overall Affordability
Cost of living index
91.0
Regional price parity
91.0
Regular gas price
$3.751/gal
Electricity price
17.59 c/kWh
Housing
Median gross rent
$1,038/mo
Median home value
$196,200
Owner costs with mortgage
-
Owner costs without mortgage
-
Taxes
State income tax
3.75%
State sales tax
5.75%
Property tax
1.31%
Income
Median household income
$66,990
Income after median rent
$4,544
Minimum wage
$11.00/hr
Laws
Gun laws
Permissive
Alcohol system
Control State
Marijuana status
Legal
What Stands Out
- Iowa has lower median home values.
- Ohio has the lower overall cost index.
- Iowa has the higher median household income.
- Iowa looks more attainable on home value to income ratio.
Affordability Ratios
Related Pages
What This Means
Iowa vs Ohio: Cost of Living in context
Iowa: 91.0. Ohio: 91.0.
Iowa
91.0
Ohio
91.0
Difference
0.0 points
People Also Ask
Iowa vs Ohio Cost of Living — Common Questions
Q What is Iowa's cost of living?
Iowa's cost of living is 91.0.
Q What is Ohio's cost of living?
Ohio's cost of living is 91.0.
More Comparisons: Iowa vs Ohio
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Sources: Core demographic data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census, with land area from U.S. Census Bureau TIGER files. Income, housing, affordability, and tax fields are maintained in our comparison dataset, with minimum wage data from the U.S. Department of Labor, gas prices from AAA, and electricity rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Political control and election fields use 2024 presidential results together with National Conference of State Legislatures data. Gun-law labels use the Giffords scorecard, alcohol system data comes from NABCA, and marijuana status uses NCSL's state cannabis laws tracker.