Sioux City, IA vs Grand Island, NE: cost of living compared
Price levels from BEA (2024); rent and home values from Zillow (September 2026).
The short answer
- Overall, living costs in Grand Island, NE and Sioux City, IA are within 1% of each other (BEA, 2024).
- To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in Sioux City works out to about $75,200 in Grand Island, before taxes.
- Housing is 6.7% higher in Grand Island, goods 0.1% higher and other services 0.2% higher, which roughly cancel out.
- Typical asking rent is $1,340 a month in Grand Island and $1,295 in Sioux City, nearly the same (Zillow, September 2026).
- A typical home is valued at about $255,000 in Grand Island and $224,000 in Sioux City.
- The gap has narrowed since 2019, when Grand Island was 2.6% less expensive than Sioux City.
derived Calculated from BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) and Zillow data. Based on an average household's spending; taxes not included. How we calculate.
Category by category
Both cities against the US average (100). The gap in each row is what matters for a move.
Overall prices are about the same in Sioux City and Grand Island
Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.
- Sioux City, IA
- Grand Island, NE
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Sioux City, IA | Grand Island, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| All items | 86.5 | 86.7 |
| Goods | 94.0 | 94.1 |
| Housing (rents) | 57.8 | 61.7 |
| Utilities | 82.7 | 74.2 |
| Other services | 92.7 | 93.0 |
| Category | Sioux City | Grand Island | Grand Island vs Sioux City |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 86.5 | 86.7 | +0.2% |
| Goods | 94.0 | 94.1 | +0.1% |
| Housing (rents) | 57.8 | 61.7 | +6.7% |
| Utilities | 82.7 | 74.2 | −10.2% |
| Other services | 92.7 | 93.0 | +0.2% |
| Typical asking rent | $1,295 | $1,340 | +3.5% |
| Typical home value | $224,000 | $255,000 | +13.8% |
| Salary to match $75,000 in Sioux City | $75,000 | $75,200 | +0.2% |
Index values: BEA, 2024, US = 100. Rent and home values: Data Provided by Zillow Group, September 2026.
How the gap has changed since 2008
The price gap between Sioux City and Grand Island has narrowed since 2008: 9.7 points then, 0.2 now
Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.
- Sioux City, IA
- Grand Island, NE
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Sioux City, IA | Grand Island, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 91.5 | 81.8 |
| 2009 | 90.8 | 82.3 |
| 2010 | 92.3 | 88.1 |
| 2011 | 90.4 | 89.2 |
| 2012 | 91.1 | 85.0 |
| 2013 | 90.9 | 86.9 |
| 2014 | 90.3 | 83.3 |
| 2015 | 89.7 | 87.3 |
| 2016 | 90.2 | 87.7 |
| 2017 | 89.7 | 83.2 |
| 2018 | 91.5 | 88.1 |
| 2019 | 92.4 | 90.0 |
| 2020 | 90.5 | 90.5 |
| 2021 | 90.2 | 89.1 |
| 2022 | 87.7 | 86.7 |
| 2023 | 88.2 | 87.1 |
| 2024 | 86.5 | 86.7 |
Goods
- Sioux City, IA
- Grand Island, NE
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Sioux City, IA | Grand Island, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 95.8 | 78.2 |
| 2009 | 95.9 | 85.4 |
| 2010 | 96.0 | 93.8 |
| 2011 | 95.7 | 94.6 |
| 2012 | 96.9 | 95.3 |
| 2013 | 96.8 | 94.0 |
| 2014 | 98.1 | 95.1 |
| 2015 | 97.9 | 95.8 |
| 2016 | 97.1 | 94.2 |
| 2017 | 95.8 | 93.7 |
| 2018 | 95.7 | 94.6 |
| 2019 | 97.3 | 97.2 |
| 2020 | 95.8 | 96.0 |
| 2021 | 94.1 | 94.6 |
| 2022 | 93.5 | 93.9 |
| 2023 | 96.7 | 96.5 |
| 2024 | 94.0 | 94.1 |
Housing (rents)
- Sioux City, IA
- Grand Island, NE
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Sioux City, IA | Grand Island, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 65.6 | 60.8 |
| 2009 | 62.9 | 51.2 |
| 2010 | 72.4 | 65.2 |
| 2011 | 70.0 | 73.0 |
| 2012 | 70.5 | 47.8 |
| 2013 | 64.2 | 59.2 |
| 2014 | 63.4 | 44.0 |
| 2015 | 64.0 | 67.6 |
| 2016 | 65.5 | 72.0 |
| 2017 | 65.5 | 50.9 |
| 2018 | 67.5 | 57.9 |
| 2019 | 71.7 | 63.4 |
| 2020 | 65.0 | 66.1 |
| 2021 | 65.2 | 61.4 |
| 2022 | 63.2 | 58.1 |
| 2023 | 62.5 | 60.9 |
| 2024 | 57.8 | 61.7 |
Utilities
- Sioux City, IA
- Grand Island, NE
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Sioux City, IA | Grand Island, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 87.8 | 72.2 |
| 2009 | 90.5 | 73.7 |
| 2010 | 87.5 | 78.3 |
| 2011 | 88.7 | 74.6 |
| 2012 | 88.5 | 77.5 |
| 2013 | 88.2 | 79.6 |
| 2014 | 82.9 | 77.8 |
| 2015 | 82.2 | 79.7 |
| 2016 | 80.7 | 80.9 |
| 2017 | 87.5 | 80.9 |
| 2018 | 96.1 | 86.3 |
| 2019 | 96.7 | 84.8 |
| 2020 | 96.4 | 85.1 |
| 2021 | 97.8 | 85.5 |
| 2022 | 96.1 | 82.4 |
| 2023 | 85.7 | 76.9 |
| 2024 | 82.7 | 74.2 |
Other services
- Sioux City, IA
- Grand Island, NE
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Sioux City, IA | Grand Island, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 98.6 | 93.4 |
| 2009 | 98.2 | 93.7 |
| 2010 | 97.6 | 93.3 |
| 2011 | 94.7 | 92.6 |
| 2012 | 95.7 | 94.6 |
| 2013 | 96.5 | 92.7 |
| 2014 | 96.0 | 92.7 |
| 2015 | 94.0 | 89.4 |
| 2016 | 94.8 | 88.6 |
| 2017 | 93.7 | 88.0 |
| 2018 | 96.3 | 96.5 |
| 2019 | 96.5 | 96.7 |
| 2020 | 96.7 | 96.7 |
| 2021 | 95.5 | 95.9 |
| 2022 | 92.0 | 92.5 |
| 2023 | 92.0 | 91.9 |
| 2024 | 92.7 | 93.0 |
Rent and home values
Typical asking rent: $1,340 in Grand Island vs $1,295 in Sioux City
Typical asking rent for a new lease, dollars per month. Quarterly.
- Sioux City, IA
- Grand Island, NE
- United States
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (typical asking rent, all homes, smoothed), through September 2026. Data Provided by Zillow Group.
Show the numbers
| Sioux City, IA | Grand Island, NE | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | – | – | $1,145 |
| Jun 2015 | – | – | $1,170 |
| Sep 2015 | – | – | $1,181 |
| Dec 2015 | – | – | $1,182 |
| Mar 2016 | – | – | $1,195 |
| Jun 2016 | – | – | $1,219 |
| Sep 2016 | – | – | $1,225 |
| Dec 2016 | – | – | $1,222 |
| Mar 2017 | – | – | $1,245 |
| Jun 2017 | – | – | $1,270 |
| Sep 2017 | – | – | $1,276 |
| Dec 2017 | – | – | $1,275 |
| Mar 2018 | – | – | $1,296 |
| Jun 2018 | – | – | $1,320 |
| Sep 2018 | – | – | $1,327 |
| Dec 2018 | – | – | $1,329 |
| Mar 2019 | – | – | $1,349 |
| Jun 2019 | – | – | $1,376 |
| Sep 2019 | – | – | $1,383 |
| Dec 2019 | – | – | $1,381 |
| Mar 2020 | – | – | $1,402 |
| Jun 2020 | – | – | $1,406 |
| Sep 2020 | – | – | $1,410 |
| Dec 2020 | – | – | $1,407 |
| Mar 2021 | – | – | $1,443 |
| Jun 2021 | – | – | $1,512 |
| Sep 2021 | – | – | $1,590 |
| Dec 2021 | – | – | $1,622 |
| Mar 2022 | – | – | $1,661 |
| Jun 2022 | – | – | $1,721 |
| Sep 2022 | – | – | $1,748 |
| Dec 2022 | $1,078 | – | $1,735 |
| Mar 2023 | $1,078 | – | $1,757 |
| Jun 2023 | $1,150 | – | $1,785 |
| Sep 2023 | $1,163 | – | $1,797 |
| Dec 2023 | $1,137 | – | $1,786 |
| Mar 2024 | $1,151 | – | $1,807 |
| Jun 2024 | $1,174 | – | $1,837 |
| Sep 2024 | $1,209 | $1,257 | $1,845 |
| Dec 2024 | $1,224 | $1,268 | $1,836 |
| Mar 2025 | $1,230 | $1,333 | $1,860 |
| Jun 2025 | $1,248 | $1,329 | $1,880 |
| Sep 2025 | $1,238 | $1,317 | $1,881 |
| Dec 2025 | $1,256 | $1,339 | $1,873 |
| Mar 2026 | $1,279 | $1,342 | $1,894 |
| Jun 2026 | $1,257 | $1,335 | $1,921 |
| Sep 2026 | $1,295 | $1,340 | $1,932 |
Typical home value: $255,000 in Grand Island vs $224,000 in Sioux City
Typical home value, dollars. Quarterly.
- Sioux City, IA
- Grand Island, NE
- United States
Source: Zillow Home Value Index (typical home value, middle tier, smoothed, seasonally adjusted), through September 2026. Data Provided by Zillow Group.
Show the numbers
| Sioux City, IA | Grand Island, NE | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | $117K | $134K | $189K |
| Jun 2015 | $120K | $137K | $192K |
| Sep 2015 | $122K | $140K | $195K |
| Dec 2015 | $124K | $141K | $199K |
| Mar 2016 | $126K | $143K | $202K |
| Jun 2016 | $127K | $145K | $204K |
| Sep 2016 | $129K | $146K | $206K |
| Dec 2016 | $131K | $148K | $209K |
| Mar 2017 | $133K | $149K | $213K |
| Jun 2017 | $134K | $150K | $216K |
| Sep 2017 | $136K | $151K | $219K |
| Dec 2017 | $137K | $154K | $223K |
| Mar 2018 | $139K | $156K | $227K |
| Jun 2018 | $140K | $157K | $230K |
| Sep 2018 | $143K | $160K | $234K |
| Dec 2018 | $144K | $161K | $236K |
| Mar 2019 | $147K | $164K | $239K |
| Jun 2019 | $150K | $167K | $242K |
| Sep 2019 | $151K | $168K | $244K |
| Dec 2019 | $155K | $172K | $247K |
| Mar 2020 | $156K | $174K | $252K |
| Jun 2020 | $157K | $176K | $255K |
| Sep 2020 | $162K | $180K | $260K |
| Dec 2020 | $166K | $184K | $271K |
| Mar 2021 | $170K | $191K | $282K |
| Jun 2021 | $175K | $199K | $296K |
| Sep 2021 | $178K | $205K | $306K |
| Dec 2021 | $182K | $210K | $314K |
| Mar 2022 | $188K | $220K | $330K |
| Jun 2022 | $194K | $227K | $346K |
| Sep 2022 | $196K | $227K | $348K |
| Dec 2022 | $197K | $228K | $345K |
| Mar 2023 | $197K | $228K | $343K |
| Jun 2023 | $203K | $230K | $347K |
| Sep 2023 | $205K | $232K | $352K |
| Dec 2023 | $205K | $233K | $354K |
| Mar 2024 | $207K | $236K | $357K |
| Jun 2024 | $210K | $240K | $361K |
| Sep 2024 | $210K | $241K | $361K |
| Dec 2024 | $213K | $247K | $363K |
| Mar 2025 | $215K | $251K | $364K |
| Jun 2025 | $215K | $252K | $362K |
| Sep 2025 | $217K | $255K | $362K |
| Dec 2025 | $219K | $256K | $364K |
| Mar 2026 | $222K | $257K | $366K |
| Jun 2026 | $224K | $256K | $365K |
| Sep 2026 | $224K | $255K | $366K |
More about each city
What this comparison leaves out
- Taxes. State and local income, sales and property taxes can change the result a lot, especially between states.
- Neighborhoods. These are metro-wide averages; a city center and its outer suburbs can differ by more than two metros do.
- Your own spending mix. The default uses an average household. Use the housing slider above if rent is a bigger share of your budget.
- Timing. BEA price levels are for 2024; Zillow figures are monthly and newer.