Iowa · Census, HUD and BEA figures · Updated

Cost of Living in Grundy County, IA

Prices around Grundy County, IA run 12.9% below the U.S. average (BEA, the metro area). The typical household there earns $87,205 a year, and HUD puts a two-bedroom at $1,051 a month. Keeping that rent under 30% of income takes about $42,040 a year.

Grundy County, IA at a glance

Median household income

$87,205$7,267 per month · U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year
2-bedroom rent$1,051HUD FY2026 Fair Market Rent
Price level (U.S. = 100)87.1-12.9% · BEA, the metro area
Electricity15.9¢per kWh · EIA Residential IA
Population12,384Census ACS 5-year estimate

How much rent can you afford in Grundy County, IA?

HUD’s fair market rent for each size, against what a typical household here earns. Change the income to see yours.

Affordable (< 30% of income)
HUD Fair Market Rent$1,051Monthly market rent
Share of gross income14.5%Recommended max: 30%
Annual income needed$42,040To meet the 30% standard
Max affordable rent$2,180At 30% of $87,205
0%30% (Affordability standard)100%
Compare against:

How much is rent in Grundy County, IA? By bedroom, 2026

HUD's fiscal 2026 Fair Market Rents for Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA HUD Metro FMR Area, with the income each one takes if rent stays under 30% of it.

HUD Fair Market Rent in Grundy County, IA, fiscal 2026
Unit SizeMonthly RentAnnual Rent30% Rule Min. Income% of Median Income
Studio / Efficiency$725$8,700$29,00010%
1-Bedroom Apartment$801$9,612$32,04011%
2-Bedroom ApartmentBenchmark$1,051$12,612$42,04014.5%
3-Bedroom Home$1,357$16,284$54,28018.7%
4-Bedroom Home$1,763$21,156$70,52024.3%

Rent in Grundy County, IA, with the wage each unit needs →

What a typical income covers in Grundy County, IA

The 50/30/20 rule applied to the local median of $87,205 a year ($7,267 a month before tax).

Needs (50%)$3,634/moRent ($1,051 2-BR), utilities (~$143/mo), groceries, transit
Wants (30%)$2,180/moEating out, travel, subscriptions and the rest
Savings and debt (20%)$1,453/moEmergency fund, retirement, paying down loans

What $87,205 leaves after Iowa taxes

Federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Iowa tax on the local median income. Change the salary to see yours.

$87,205
$30,000$175,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$87,205
Net 77%
Fed 12%
IA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$67,517After all taxes
Monthly deposit$5,626Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$2,597Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate22.6%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$10,355 / yr
Iowa state income tax$2,662 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$6,671 / yr

Living in Grundy County, IA: common questions

What is the median household income in Grundy County, IA?

According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year survey, the median household income in Grundy County, IA is $87,205 per year (approximately $7,267 per month).

What is the average rent in Grundy County, IA?

The closest official figure is HUD's Fair Market Rent for 2026: $725 for a studio, $801 for one bedroom, $1,051 for two, $1,357 for three and $1,763 for four, utilities included.

It is not an average of listings. HUD sets it at the rent 40% of recent movers paid or less for a standard unit, so a new lease on a nicer place will usually cost more.

Is Grundy County, IA expensive to live in?

Prices there run 12.9% below the U.S. average. BEA's regional price parity for the metro area is 87.1, where the U.S. is 100. Rent moves the number most: housing is where places differ, while goods cost about the same everywhere.

How much do you need to earn to comfortably afford rent in Grundy County, IA?

To keep a $1,051 two-bedroom under 30% of gross income, a household needs about $42,040 a year, or $3,503 a month. That is 48% of what the typical household in Grundy County, IA earns.

How much do you need to live comfortably in Grundy County, IA?

On the local median income of $87,205 ($7,267 a month before tax), the 50/30/20 rule leaves $3,634 a month for needs like rent, utilities and groceries, $2,180 for everything else and $1,453 for savings or debt. A two-bedroom at $1,051 takes 29% of the needs share.

How much is the electric bill in Grundy County, IA?

Homes in Iowa paid 15.9¢ per kWh on average (EIA). At 900 kWh a month, a typical use, that is about $143. Your bill depends mostly on heating and cooling.