Bettendorf vs Iowa City
Bettendorf, Iowa versus Iowa City, Iowa: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Bettendorf and Iowa City score about the same overall (46 vs 43 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Bettendorf | Iowa City |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $101k | $55k |
| Cost of Living | $42k | $45k |
| Home Value | $274k | $257k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.53% | 1.76% |
| Income Tax | 6.00% | 6.00% |
| Sales Tax | 6.94% | 6.94% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 12.45% | 16.53% |
| Unemployment | 2.4% | 4.8% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 23°F | 23°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 75°F | 76°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 37.5 in | 35.7 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 36.1 in | 27.5 in |
| Sunny Days | 237 days | 245 days |
| Summer Humidity | 65°F | 65°F |
| Comfortable Days | 88 days | 79 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 53.5 | 76.9 |
| Air Quality | 51 AQI | 56 AQI |
| School Quality | 34.5 | 57.7 |
| Violent Crime | 369/100k | 1172/100k |
| Property Crime | 1383/100k | 1555/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 38,997 | 74,878 |
| Median Age | 39.2 | 26.0 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.27 | 0.41 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.94 | 0.98 |
| Political Leaning | Even | D+44 |
| White (%) | 82.6% | 73.2% |
| Black (%) | 1.7% | 8.4% |
| Hispanic (%) | 5.0% | 6.7% |
| Asian (%) | 6.7% | 7.8% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.0% | 3.9% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 20 min | 18 min |
| Walkability | 8.1/20 | 12.2/20 |
| Airport Distance | 136 mi | 189 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 92.0% | 87.6% |
| Amenities Nearby | 50.52 | 33.79 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Excellent |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Bettendorf or Iowa City more affordable?
- Bettendorf has the lower cost of living: its index is $42k, compared with Bettendorf's $42k and Iowa City's $45k. Median rent is $1k in Bettendorf versus $1k in Iowa City.
- Is Bettendorf or Iowa City safer?
- Bettendorf has the lower violent crime rate. Bettendorf reports 369/100k and Iowa City reports 1172/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Bettendorf or Iowa City?
- The median home value is $274k in Bettendorf and $257k in Iowa City, so homes are more affordable in Iowa City.