?WhereToHQ

Residential comparison · 13 facts

Marshalltown, IA vs Waukee, 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 Marshalltown needs about $92,500 in Waukee to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Waukee, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $77,500 in Marshalltown.

A few differences

Marshalltown vs Waukee · facet by facet
FacetMarshalltown, IAWaukee, IA
Median home price$127,700$350,500
2-bedroom rent$905/mo$1,467/mo
Property tax rate1.5%1.5%
State & local income tax5.3%5.3%
Sales tax6.9%6.9%
Cost of living index7394
Groceries index9494
Utilities$150/mo$150/mo
Median household income$69,068$101,029
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: Marshalltown, IA · Waukee, IA
Questions & answers
Is Marshalltown cheaper than Waukee?
Marshalltown has the lower day-to-day cost index (73 vs 94 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
What household income in Waukee equals $85,000 in Marshalltown?
A household earning $85,000 in Marshalltown needs about $92,500 in Waukee to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Waukee lifestyle costs about $77,500 in Marshalltown.