CostIndexUSA

Waterloo, IA vs Youngstown, OH Cost of Living

Data: BEA Regional Price Parities · Census ACS · 2024

≈ Equal CostIA
Waterloo
87.1
overall index
$1,075/mo rent
OH
Youngstown
87.4
overall index
$1,025/mo rent

Waterloo and Youngstown have nearly identical costs of living.

Category Breakdown

Index values: 100 = U.S. national average. Higher = more expensive.

🏠 Housing15.4%
Waterloo
63.1
Youngstown
53.4
🛒 Groceries≈ Equal
Waterloo
93.7
Youngstown
93.6
🚗 Transportation+6.5%
Waterloo
97.6
Youngstown
103.9
🏥 Healthcare+6.5%
Waterloo
88.3
Youngstown
94
Utilities+15.1%
Waterloo
83.7
Youngstown
96.3

Salary Equivalency Calculator

Enter your current salary in Waterloo to see what you'd need to earn in Youngstown to maintain the same purchasing power.

$
Equivalent salary in Youngstown, OH
$80,300
$300 more needed in Youngstown

Formula: salary × (87.4 ÷ 87.1) = salary × 1.0034. Based on BEA Regional Price Parities.

Housing Market

Waterloo, IA

Median Home Price
$192,000
Median Monthly Rent
$1,075
Housing Index
63.1
Price-to-Rent Ratio
14.9×

Youngstown, OH

Median Home Price
$163,000
Median Monthly Rent
$1,025
Housing Index
53.4
Price-to-Rent Ratio
13.3×

Waterloo has 15.4% lower housing costs compared to Youngstown.

Income & Job Market

Waterloo, IA

Median Household Income
$62,400
Per Capita Income
$35,600
Unemployment Rate
3%
Population
67,470
Top Industries
ManufacturingHealthcareAgricultureRetailEducation

Youngstown, OH

Median Household Income
$51,400
Per Capita Income
$29,300
Unemployment Rate
4%
Population
60,068
Top Industries
HealthcareManufacturingEducationGovernmentRetail

Affordability at a Glance

Income-to-rent ratio: higher is better (more income relative to housing costs).

Waterloo, IA
4.8×income-to-rent ratio

79% of income left after rent (median)

Youngstown, OH
4.2×income-to-rent ratio

76% of income left after rent (median)

Data Sources: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities 2024; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Zillow Research.

Cost indices use 100 as the U.S. national average. Values above 100 indicate costs above the national average. Data is updated annually.

This data is for informational purposes only and should not be used as the sole basis for relocation or financial decisions.