Arcadia, IA vs Garrison, IA

Garrison is moderately more affordable than Arcadia, with a 9.7% lower cost of living index. Arcadia scores 68 compared to 62 for Garrison, where the US average is 100. This difference means residents of Arcadia can expect to pay noticeably more for everyday expenses, housing, and services.

On the housing front, median rent in Arcadia is $816/month compared to $830/month in Garrison — a 2% difference. Interestingly, home values tell a different story: while Arcadia has cheaper rent, Garrison actually has lower median home values ($65,000 vs $139,500).

Median household income in Arcadia is $69,408 compared to $57,083 in Garrison (+21.6%). While Arcadia is more expensive, its higher salaries more than compensate — residents there may actually end up with more disposable income. Looking at affordability, residents of Arcadia spend roughly 14.1% of their income on rent, less than the 17.4% in Garrison.