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CityLedger

Iowa City vs State College

Metro-area medians — Iowa City, IA Metro Area vs State College, PA Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Iowa City comes out ahead, winning 8 of the 8 clearly-decided measures.

Iowa City costs about 6% less to live in, and household incomes are similar. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches further in Iowa City.

Their widest everyday difference: Iowa City has the tighter job market — 2.7% unemployment versus 4.6%.

For your salary & household

Enter your pay and household size to see what it's really worth here — the numbers update live and the link stays shareable.

Iowa City, IA
$58,464
take-home / yr · 22% to tax
$63,888
real value after local prices
State College, PA
$59,011
take-home / yr · 21% to tax
$60,986
real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, Iowa City leaves you about $2,903/yr better off after tax and local prices.

Take-home estimates a single filer taking the standard deduction (2025 federal brackets, FICA, and state income tax) and isn't tax advice. “Real value” rebases take-home to average U.S. prices using the BEA cost-of-living index; the per-person figure uses the OECD square-root equivalence scale.

Measure
Iowa City
State College
Livability (CityLedger)
70/100
58/100
Cost of living (price level, US = 100)
91.5
96.8
Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
$82,205
$79,690
Median household income
$75,225
$77,110
Median rent
$1,099/mo
$1,189/mo
Median home value
$315,200
$339,200
Unemployment
2.7%
4.6%
Bachelor's degree or higher
52%
47.4%
Average commute
18.5 min
20.9 min
Air quality (median AQI)
39
40
Avg temperature
51°F
49°F

Choose Iowa City for

  • + Livability (CityLedger)
  • + Cost of living (price level, US = 100)
  • + Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
  • + Median rent
  • + Median home value
  • + Unemployment
  • + Bachelor's degree or higher
  • + Average commute
Full Iowa City profile →

Choose State College for

  • No clear edge
Full State College profile →

More comparisons

Metros closest to Iowa City and State College on cost, income, size, and education.

Iowa City vs Columbia→Iowa City vs Bloomington→Iowa City vs Champaign→State College vs Bloomington→State College vs Bloomington→State College vs Kalamazoo→

Iowa City vs State College — frequently asked

Is Iowa City cheaper than State College?
Iowa City is cheaper: its overall cost of living runs about 6% below State College's (BEA Regional Price Parities).
Which has higher household income, Iowa City or State College?
State College has the higher median household income — $77,110 versus $75,225 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 3% more.
Does a paycheck go further in Iowa City or State College?
A paycheck stretches further in Iowa City. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $82,205 there versus $79,690 in State College.
Which has cheaper rent, Iowa City or State College?
Iowa City has cheaper rent — a median of $1,099/mo versus $1,189/mo (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).