Cost of Living in Spirit Lake, IA

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A+
3%
Overall NAT. AVG.
0%
Goods & Services NAT. AVG.
10%
Housing NAT. AVG.
Date & Last Updated: This data reflects 2025 and was released from C2ER in January, 2026; this is the most current data available.
The cost of living index is based on a national average of 100. For example, if the cost of living is 90, then it is 10% lower than average. If the cost of living is 110, then it is 10% higher than average. The breakdown for each index is as follows: goods & services (33%), groceries (13%), health care (5%), housing (30%), transportation (9%) and utilities (10%). If the cost of living data was unavailable for this city, estimates based upon nearby cities were used.
Index Spirit Lake Iowa National
Cost of living9788100
Goods & Services10094100
Groceries10297100
Health care10796100
Housing9074100
Transportation9799100
Utilities9588100
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Homes For Sale In Spirit Lake, IA

property for sale

508 18th St

Spirit Lake, IA
property for sale

2731 Center Lake Dr

Spirit Lake, IA
property for sale

290 240th Ave #281

Arnolds Park, IA
property for sale

3805 Sunner Ave

Spirit Lake, IA

Cost Of Living Quick Facts

  • The cost of living in Spirit Lake is 9% higher than the Iowa average
  • The cost of living in Spirit Lake is 3% lower than the national average
  • Spirit Lake housing is 10% 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

Most Affordable Places to Live in and Around Spirit Lake

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Compare Spirit Lake, IA Cost of Living

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      Salary Calculator

      This is how much you would need to earn in
      Price difference in compared to
      Cost of living index
      Goods & Services index
      Groceries index
      Health care index
      Housing index
      Transportation index
      Utilities index

      Median Income & Debt-To-Income Ratio

      Median Income Per Year Per Month Max Budget (28% DTI) Max Budget (36% DTI)
      Owners$95,934$7,995$2,238$2,878
      Renters$46,122$3,844$1,076$1,384
      A good way to judge both the affordability of the housing and the cost of living in Spirit Lake is by simply calculating the maximum that should be spent on housing, otherwise known as the debt-to-income ratio (DTI). The plan is to avoid spending more than 28 percent of the gross income on costs that pertain to housing and no more than 36 percent on all expenses and debts. Spirit Lake has a median income of about $95,934 for people who own homes. Based on that number, a maximum of $2,238 should be spent on expenses related to housing. Renters have a slightly different median income, which is $46,122. Based on this average, renters should spend no more than $1,076 on all rental costs if they want to maintain a non-impoverished standard of living.

      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%

      Goods & Services

      Item Spirit Lake National avg. Difference
      Haircut $31.33$27.6213.4%
      Beauty Salon $46.33$51.119.3%
      Toothpaste $4.03$4.091.5%
      Shampoo $1.68$1.548.9%
      Movie $11.33$12.8812.0%
      Yoga $15.61$19.6620.6%

      Groceries

      Item Spirit Lake National avg. Difference
      Ground Beef $7.55$7.702.0%
      Fried Chicken $1.58$1.665.0%
      Milk $4.86$4.732.7%
      Potatoes $5.01$5.264.7%
      Pizza $14.39$12.7612.8%
      Beer $9.59$10.559.1%

      Health Care

      Item Spirit Lake National avg. Difference
      Optometrist $149.13$140.066.5%
      Doctor $210.37$153.8236.8%
      Dentist $126.00$123.152.3%
      Ibuprofen $11.77$11.730.3%
      Lipitor $18.22$23.6122.8%

      Housing

      Item Spirit Lake National avg. Difference
      Home Price $292,284.00$326,622.0010.5%
      Avg. Mortgage Payment $1,905.81$2,480.2523.2%
      Apartment Rent $1,318.00$1,444.008.7%

      Transportation

      Item Spirit Lake National avg. Difference
      Gasoline $2.90$3.065.0%
      Tire Balancing $67.06$65.212.8%

      Utilities

      Item Spirit Lake National avg. Difference
      All Electricity $205.68$220.126.6%
      Phone $192.57$195.711.6%
      Although the cost of living data is updated regularly, this cost of living information is to be used as estimates only as prices can change on an ongoing basis.

      Nearby cities with low cost of living

      City Population Cost of Living Index National Avg.
      Superior, IA2588217.7%
      Terril, IA3568514.9%
      Estherville, IA5,8538614.3%
      Jackson, MN3,3029010.5%
      Fostoria, IA1868515.5%
      Spirit Lake, IA5,248973.4%

      Cities with similar population

      City Population Cost of Living Index National Avg.
      Kenneth City, FL5,2481011.2%
      Grandwood Park, IL5,24711717.4%
      Collegeville, PA5,24912424.5%
      Summit, AZ5,2508712.9%
      Oak Point, TX5,25012423.8%
      Spirit Lake, IA5,248973.4%
      Date & Last Updated: This data reflects 2025 and was released from C2ER in January, 2026; this is the most current data available.
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