?WhereToHQ

Residential comparison · 13 facts

Council Bluffs, IA vs Sioux 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 Council Bluffs needs about $85,000 in Sioux City to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Sioux City, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $85,000 in Council Bluffs.

A few differences

Council Bluffs vs Sioux City · facet by facet
FacetCouncil Bluffs, IASioux City, IA
Median home price$171,800$173,600
2-bedroom rent$1,054/mo$1,000/mo
Property tax rate1.5%1.5%
State & local income tax5.3%5.3%
Sales tax6.9%6.9%
Cost of living index7877
Groceries index9494
Utilities$150/mo$150/mo
Median household income$64,578$68,906
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: Council Bluffs, IA · Sioux City, IA
Questions & answers
Is Council Bluffs cheaper than Sioux City?
Sioux City has the lower day-to-day cost index (77 vs 78 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
What household income in Sioux City equals $85,000 in Council Bluffs?
A household earning $85,000 in Council Bluffs needs about $85,000 in Sioux City to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Sioux City lifestyle costs about $85,000 in Council Bluffs.