Aplington, IA vs Chelsea, IA

Chelsea is moderately more affordable than Aplington, with a 9.5% lower cost of living index. Aplington scores 61 compared to 56 for Chelsea, where the US average is 100. This difference means residents of Aplington can expect to pay noticeably more for everyday expenses, housing, and services.

On the housing front, median rent in Aplington is $650/month compared to $681/month in Chelsea — a 5% difference. Interestingly, home values tell a different story: while Aplington has cheaper rent, Chelsea actually has lower median home values ($43,100 vs $131,800).

Median household income in Aplington is $70,093 compared to $32,188 in Chelsea (+117.8%). While Aplington is more expensive, its higher salaries more than compensate — residents there may actually end up with more disposable income. Looking at affordability, residents of Aplington spend roughly 11.1% of their income on rent, less than the 25.4% in Chelsea.