2023 Report: Cities in Iowa where Household Expenses are Highest and Lowest
How does living in the Hawkeye State affect your wallet? doxo breaks down key insights about Iowa’s household expenses, with a close eye to how bills differ in towns and cities. On average, Iowa’s household expenses, doxo’s data reveals, are $1,862 per month.
doxo’s data also has infographics for 38 cities and towns across Iowa, breaking down localized bill pay data figures as well. The state-wide rankings for most and least expensive cities provide insight into cost of living in Iowa and how it changes according to location.
The data sheds light on Iowa’s cost of living through other metrics, too. For example, the “percent of household income” data point shows what percentage of household income local residents spend on bills. doxo’s data also indicates how much more or less expensive specific cities are than the national and state average.
Iowa residents’ household bills are 9% lower than average
The average Iowa household pays $1,862 a month for the 10 most common household bills. This figure takes into account the 10 most common household bills, which are: Mortgage; Rent; Auto Loan; Utilities (electric, gas, water & sewer, and waste & recycling); Auto Insurance; Cable & Internet & Phone, Health Insurance (consumer paid portion); Mobile Phone; Alarm & Security; and Life Insurance.
Iowa residents pay low household bill expenses: the state ranks 33rd out of 50 states in terms of average monthly spending.
Slightly more expensive than Iowa is Louisiana, where residents pay $1,906 a month on average; slightly more affordable is South Carolina, where residents pay $1,853.
The most expensive state for household expenses is Hawaii, where residents pay $3,070 per month. The most affordable state, meanwhile, is West Virginia, where bills average $1,530 per month.
Absolute dollar amounts don’t tell the full story, however. Iowa households spend 36% of their income on household costs, which is close to the national average of 35%, and a lower share than many states where households pay more affordable bills than in Iowa. For example, Mississippi residents, though they pay much less expensive bills than Iowa residents in absolute terms ($1,616 a month on average), spend a much higher percentage of household income on them: 41%.
Annually, Iowa residents pay $27 billion in household bills. See more data about bill pay in Iowa by clicking on the infographic link below.
Data: doxoINSIGHTS’ bill pay infographic about Iowa
- Average Bill Cost per HH: $1,862 per month
- State Bill Pay Market Size: $27 billion
- doxoINSIGHTS State Rank: 33 out of 50
- Percent of HHI Used for Bills: 36%
- Difference from the National Average: 9% lower
Rent in Iowa is 28% lower than the national average
The average Iowa household pays $1,862 in the 10 most common household bills per month. Housing costs deviate substantially from the national average. The average mortgage is $1,114 per month in Iowa compared to the national average of $1,321: 16% lower than the national average. Rent, at $854 in Iowa compared to $1,191 nationally, is even further removed from the US average: 28% lower.
Utilities is also a category where Iowa residents save compared to the national average. The average Iowa household spends $331 on their utility bill, compared to the national average of $351.
Health insurance, however, is an area in which Iowa residents pay substantially more than the national average. The average household in the Hawkeye state pays $183 a month for health insurance bills, compared to the national average of $120, making the costs 52% higher than the national average.
Note: Health Insurance and Life Insurance expenses do not account for payments made by employers on behalf of employees. These just include out-of-pocket expenses. Also, the state and national bill totals take into account the percentage of households that pay a bill.
Average Iowa Household Bill Spending
| Bill Category | Average Iowa Monthly Bill | National Average Monthly Bill | Iowa Percent +/- National Average ($2,046) |
| Mortgage | $1,114 | $1,321 | 16% lower |
| Rent | $854 | $1,191 | 28% lower |
| Auto Loan | $444 | $467 | 5% lower |
| Utilities | $331 | $351 | 6% lower |
| Auto Insurance | $206 | $207 | 0% lower |
| Cable & Internet | $112 | $118 | 5% lower |
| Health Insurance | $183 | $120 | 53% higher |
| Mobile Phone | $118 | $119 | 1% lower |
| Alarm & Security | $107 | $84 | 27% higher |
| Life Insurance | $98 | $89 | 10% higher |
| Total | $1,862 | $2,046 | 9% lower |
North Liberty is the most expensive area for Iowa household bills
Residents of North Liberty pay the highest household bills in the state of Iowa, at an average of $2,405 per month. Johnston comes in second in the rankings, with residents paying an average of $2,392 on household expenses.
Residents of the top two areas, plus the third–Waukee–though they pay the most expensive bills in the state, spend a low share of household income on bills compared to the state average: 32%, 32%, and 29%, compared to the state average of 36%.
Also on the list of the most expensive areas to pay household bills in Iowa are Clive ($2,325 per month), Ankeny ($2,281 per month), and Indianola ($2,221 per month).
Access detailed infographics about each city or town by clicking on the hyperlinks in the “City” column in the tables below. You can also browse doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to see infographics about more than 4,200 cities and towns across all 50 states in the US.
10 Most Expensive Iowa Cities for Household Bills
| Rank (1-10 out of 38) | City | Monthly Bill Expenses Per Household | Percent of Household Income Used for Bills |
| 1 | North Liberty | $2,405 | 32% |
| 2 | Johnston | $2,392 | 32% |
| 3 | Waukee | $2,382 | 29% |
| 4 | Clive | $2,325 | 26% |
| 5 | Ankeny | $2,281 | 30% |
| 6 | Indianola | $2,221 | 37% |
| 7 | Iowa City | $2,209 | 52% |
| 8 | Urbandale | $2,156 | 29% |
| 9 | West Des Moines | $2,094 | 35% |
| 10 | Cedar Falls | $2,087 | 37% |
*Household Bill Pay Expense averages shown above reflect the ten most common bills paid, including housing (rent/mortgage).
Fort Dodge is the most affordable place in Iowa for household bills
Out of 38 cities and towns for which doxoINSIGHTS provides data, Fort Dodge is the most affordable place in Iowa, with residents paying $1,575 on average for household bills. They spend a slightly higher share of their income on household bills than the Iowa average, at 38%.
Fort Madison is second most affordable area on the list, with residents paying an average of $1,576 on household bills.
Also on the list of most affordable cities and towns in Iowa are Council Bluffs ($1,599 a month), Davenport ($1,612 a month), and Oskaloosa ($1,630 a month).
10 Most Affordable Iowa Cities for Household Bills
| Rank (29-38 out of 38) | City | Monthly Bill Expenses Per Household | Percent of Household Income Used for Bills |
| 29 | Newton | $1,714 | 40% |
| 30 | Fairfield | $1,713 | 45% |
| 31 | Spencer | $1,693 | 42% |
| 32 | Decorah | $1,677 | 33% |
| 33 | Keokuk | $1,633 | 43% |
| 34 | Oskaloosa | $1,630 | 35% |
| 35 | Davenport | $1,612 | 36% |
| 36 | Council Bluffs | $1,599 | 33% |
| 37 | Fort Madison | $1,576 | 38% |
| 38 | Fort Dodge | $1,575 | 38% |
Some individuals may be deciding whether to move from a more expensive city to a less expensive one. doxoINSIGHTS can be a valuable resource for consumers seeking to make key decisions like this, allowing them to compare Iowa’s household expenses against average bills in different cities and states across the country. They can also use doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to compare average costs for over 900 towns and cities across the country.