Cost Of Living in Chester, IA

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A+

18%

Overall NAT. AVG.

0%

Groceries NAT. AVG.

63%

Housing NAT. AVG.

Date & Last Updated: These cost of living estimates reflect 2026 modeled data using U.S. Census housing inputs and AI-assisted city-level pricing models.

The cost of living index is based on a national average of 100. For example, if the cost of living score is 90, then the estimated cost of living is 10% lower than the national average. If the score is 110, then the estimated cost of living is 10% higher than average. The overall index is calculated using weighted estimates across major everyday expense categories, including housing (30%), groceries (16%), transportation (12%), healthcare (10%), utilities (8%), lifestyle and entertainment (8%), household expenses (8%), and education and childcare (8%). All values are AI-assisted city-level estimates designed for directional comparisons.
Index	Chester	Iowa	National
Cost of living	82	89	100
Groceries	100	97	100
Health care	99	96	100
Housing	37	74	100
Transportation	102	97	100
Utilities	108	95	100
Lifestyle & Entertainment	96	95	100
Household Items	100	97	100
Education & Childcare	102	94	100

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Cost Of Living Quick Facts

The cost of living in Chester is 8% lower than the Iowa average
The cost of living in Chester is 18% lower than the national average
Chester housing is 63% lower than the national average
Iowa general sales tax is 18% higher than the national average
Iowa state income tax is 69% higher than the national average

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Price difference in compared to

Cost of living index
Groceries index
Health care index
Housing index
Transportation index
Utilities index
Lifestyle index
Household index
Educare index

Median Income & Debt-To-Income Ratio

Median Income	Per Year	Per Month	Max Budget (28% DTI)	Max Budget (36% DTI)
Owners	$56,982	$4,749	$1,329	$1,710
Renters	$46,024	$3,835	$1,074	$1,381

Iowa Sales Tax

State	General Sales Tax	With Max Surtax
Iowa	6%	7%

Iowa Income Tax

State	Income Tax (Low)	Income Tax (High)
Iowa	4.4%	6%

Nearby cities with low cost of living

City	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
McIntire, IA	83	83	17.2%
Taopi, MN	62	84	16.0%
Riceville, IA	891	85	14.8%
Lime Springs, IA	648	86	14.4%
Le Roy, MN	1,040	87	13.1%
Chester, IA	156	82	18.0%

Cities with similar population

City	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
North Johns, AL	156	80	19.8%
Powhatan, AR	156	83	17.4%
North San Juan, CA	156	128	28.2%
Garden City, IA	156	74	25.5%
Bone Gap, IL	156	78	22.2%
Chester, IA	156	82	18.0%