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Residential comparison · 13 facts

Bettendorf, IA vs Iowa City, IA

Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.

A household earning $85,000 in Bettendorf needs about $86,000 in Iowa City to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Iowa City, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $84,000 in Bettendorf.

A few differences

Bettendorf vs Iowa City · facet by facet
FacetBettendorf, IAIowa City, IA
Median home price$306,500$285,900
2-bedroom rent$1,121/mo$1,120/mo
Property tax rate1.5%1.5%
State & local income tax5.3%5.3%
Sales tax6.9%6.9%
Cost of living index8685
Groceries index9494
Utilities$150/mo$150/mo
Median household income$100,495$58,546
Unemployment rate3%3%
Crime index38/10038/100
School rating6.5/106.5/10
Sunny days / year200 days200 days

Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.

Full profiles: Bettendorf, IA · Iowa City, IA
Questions & answers
Is Bettendorf cheaper than Iowa City?
Iowa City has the lower day-to-day cost index (85 vs 86 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
What household income in Iowa City equals $85,000 in Bettendorf?
A household earning $85,000 in Bettendorf needs about $86,000 in Iowa City to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Iowa City lifestyle costs about $84,000 in Bettendorf.