Cost Of Living in Elma, IA

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21%

Overall NAT. AVG.

5%

Groceries NAT. AVG.

62%

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	Elma	Iowa	National
Cost of living	79	89	100
Groceries	95	97	100
Health care	95	96	100
Housing	38	74	100
Transportation	96	97	100
Utilities	95	95	100
Lifestyle & Entertainment	95	95	100
Household Items	98	97	100
Education & Childcare	98	94	100

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Homes For Sale In Elma, IA

808 Main St

Elma, IA

413 Maple St

Elma, IA

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Cost Of Living Quick Facts

The cost of living in Elma is 12% lower than the Iowa average
The cost of living in Elma is 21% lower than the national average
Elma housing is 62% 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	$57,796	$4,816	$1,348	$1,734
Renters	$0	$0	$0	$0

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.
Meyer, IA	13	101	1.0%
Little Cedar, IA	28	101	1.0%
Alta Vista, IA	232	78	21.5%
Bassett, IA	43	79	21.0%
McIntire, IA	83	83	17.2%
Elma, IA	538	79	21.3%

Cities with similar population

City	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Fox River, AK	538	122	21.6%
Keithsburg, IL	538	80	20.2%
Thompsonville, IL	538	83	17.4%
Elizabethtown, IN	538	83	17.2%
Elnora, IN	538	82	18.2%
Elma, IA	538	79	21.3%