| Index | Melcher-Dallas | Iowa | National |
| Cost of living | 78 | 88 | 100 |
| Goods & Services | 91 | 94 | 100 |
| Groceries | 98 | 97 | 100 |
| Health care | 83 | 96 | 100 |
| Housing | 46 | 74 | 100 |
| Transportation | 99 | 99 | 100 |
| Utilities | 79 | 88 | 100 |
Why stop at city-to-city? With Local Insights, you can compare neighborhoods, zip codes, or even exact addresses. Access 300+ hyperlocal data points—from schools and crime to housing and amenities—to see which area is the better fit.
| Cost of living index | |
| Goods & Services index | |
| Groceries index | |
| Health care index | |
| Housing index | |
| Transportation index | |
| Utilities index |
| Median Income | Per Year | Per Month | Max Budget (28% DTI) | Max Budget (36% DTI) |
| Owners | $68,828 | $5,736 | $1,606 | $2,065 |
| Renters | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| State | General Sales Tax | With Max Surtax |
| Iowa | 6% | 7% |
| State | Income Tax (Low) | Income Tax (High) |
| Iowa | 4.4% | 6% |
| Item | Melcher-Dallas | National avg. | Difference |
| Haircut | $26.10 | $27.62 | 5.5% |
| Beauty Salon | $45.69 | $51.11 | 10.6% |
| Toothpaste | $4.05 | $4.09 | 1.0% |
| Shampoo | $1.66 | $1.54 | 7.7% |
| Movie | $10.95 | $12.88 | 15.0% |
| Yoga | $20.71 | $19.66 | 5.3% |
| Item | Melcher-Dallas | National avg. | Difference |
| Ground Beef | $7.81 | $7.70 | 1.4% |
| Fried Chicken | $1.51 | $1.66 | 9.2% |
| Milk | $4.68 | $4.73 | 1.1% |
| Potatoes | $5.16 | $5.26 | 1.8% |
| Pizza | $12.30 | $12.76 | 3.6% |
| Beer | $10.51 | $10.55 | 0.4% |
| Item | Melcher-Dallas | National avg. | Difference |
| Optometrist | $93.94 | $140.06 | 32.9% |
| Doctor | $109.70 | $153.82 | 28.7% |
| Dentist | $134.62 | $123.15 | 9.3% |
| Ibuprofen | $12.10 | $11.73 | 3.1% |
| Lipitor | $10.77 | $23.61 | 54.4% |
| Item | Melcher-Dallas | National avg. | Difference |
| Home Price | $127,312.00 | $326,622.00 | 61.0% |
| Avg. Mortgage Payment | $1,660.94 | $2,480.25 | 33.0% |
| Apartment Rent | $889.00 | $1,444.00 | 38.4% |
| Item | Melcher-Dallas | National avg. | Difference |
| Gasoline | $2.96 | $3.06 | 3.2% |
| Tire Balancing | $68.29 | $65.21 | 4.7% |
| Item | Melcher-Dallas | National avg. | Difference |
| All Electricity | $148.41 | $220.12 | 32.6% |
| Phone | $191.50 | $195.71 | 2.2% |
| City | Population | Cost of Living Index | National Avg. |
| Marysville, IA | 52 | 91 | 8.6% |
| Williamson, IA | 192 | 73 | 27.2% |
| Lucas, IA | 115 | 75 | 25.1% |
| Chariton, IA | 4,281 | 80 | 20.4% |
| Lacona, IA | 346 | 80 | 20.3% |
| Melcher-Dallas, IA | 1,343 | 78 | 22.3% |
| City | Population | Cost of Living Index | National Avg. |
| Harristown, IL | 1,343 | 82 | 17.8% |
| Sand Lake, MI | 1,343 | 85 | 15.5% |
| Fulda, MN | 1,343 | 85 | 15.3% |
| Winthrop, MN | 1,343 | 89 | 11.4% |
| Larimore, ND | 1,343 | 86 | 14.4% |
| Melcher-Dallas, IA | 1,343 | 78 | 22.3% |
Here are the best places to live in Iowa
Most Dangerous Cities In The US
Safest Cities In The US
Safest States In The US