Cost Of Living in St. Joseph, IA

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5%

Overall NAT. AVG.

3%

Groceries NAT. AVG.

100%

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	St. Joseph	Iowa	National
Cost of living	95	89	100
Groceries	98	97	100
Health care	95	96	100
Housing	n/a	74	100
Transportation	96	97	100
Utilities	92	95	100
Lifestyle & Entertainment	92	95	100
Household Items	98	97	100
Education & Childcare	90	94	100

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Cost Of Living Quick Facts

The cost of living in St. Joseph is 6% higher than the Iowa average
The cost of living in St. Joseph is 5% lower than the national average
St. Joseph housing is 13% 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	$75,687	$6,307	$1,766	$2,271
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.
Sexton, IA	0	100	0.4%
Irvington, IA	42	95	5.3%
St. Benedict, IA	25	95	5.3%
Ottosen, IA	16	95	5.3%
Bradgate, IA	139	72	27.8%
St. Joseph, IA	124	95	5.3%

Cities with similar population

City	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Providence, AL	124	81	19.5%
Gay, GA	124	99	0.9%
Makaha Valley, HI	124	339	239.4%
Woodburn, IA	124	77	23.3%
Elizabeth, IN	124	90	10.2%
St. Joseph, IA	124	95	5.3%