Decorah, IA vs Indianola, IA

Decorah is moderately more affordable than Indianola, with a 6.8% lower cost of living index. Decorah scores 75 compared to 80 for Indianola, where the US average is 100. This difference means residents of Indianola can expect to pay noticeably more for everyday expenses, housing, and services.

On the housing front, median rent in Decorah is $788/month compared to $966/month in Indianola — a 18% difference. Interestingly, home values tell a different story: while Decorah has cheaper rent, Indianola actually has lower median home values ($228,100 vs $234,600).

Median household income in Decorah is $62,177 compared to $78,125 in Indianola (-20.4%). While Indianola is more expensive, its higher salaries more than compensate — residents there may actually end up with more disposable income. Looking at affordability, residents of Decorah spend roughly 15.2% of their income on rent, more than the 14.8% in Indianola.