Average Utility Costs in Iowa
Typical monthly utility costs in Iowa are about $201.22/mo, based on 1,000 kWh of electricity and 5,000 gallons of water (plus sewer and trash where available). Compare Iowa cities below to find cheaper vs more expensive areas.
Electric: All of our Iowa cities except Ames are served by MidAmerican Energy and share the same electric rates. Ames uses municipal (City of Ames) electric.
Average Monthly Utility Costs in Iowa
The average utility bill in Iowa is estimated at $201.22 per month, a typical total assembled from median city estimates for electricity, water, sewer, and trash. To reflect a more typical bill across cities (and reduce the impact of outliers), these "average" values use the median of city estimates.
Assumptions: 1,000 kWh/month and 5,000 gallons/month (where applicable). "Average" values represent the median city estimate; water/sewer/trash medians exclude $0 entries when service or published rates vary by address. Actual bills vary by usage, fees, and provider.
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Utility providers in Iowa
In the cities we cover, electric is provided by MidAmerican Energy Company (Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Sioux City, Iowa City, Ankeny and 1 more) MidAmerican Energy uses summer (Jun–Sep) and winter (Oct–May) rates; riders (EAC, TCA, etc.) may affect actual bills. Water, sewer, and trash are set by city, county, or regional providers. Our estimates use each utility's published rate at 1,000 kWh. City pages show sources and last-verified dates.
See which electric, water, sewer, and trash providers serve different areas of Iowa, along with typical residential rate information and sources.
View utility providers in Iowa →These rankings are estimates for comparison at 1,000 kWh. For the full breakdown (electric, water, sewer, trash) by city, use the comparison table below.
Cheapest electric rates in Iowa
Top 5 cities with the lowest estimated electric bill at 1,000 kWh. See the comparison table below for all cities.
Most expensive total utility monthly cost in Iowa
Top 5 cities with the highest estimated total (electric + water + sewer + trash). See the comparison table for all cities.
Compare all cities
Estimated monthly costs by city, sorted by total (highest first). Same assumed usage (1,000 kWh, 5,000 gal) for comparison; some cities may show $0 when no single published municipal rate is available or service varies by address. 8 cities.
| City | County | Electric | Water | Sewer | Trash | Total | View |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davenport | Scott County | $97.40 | $63.35 | $56.00 | $24.11 | $240.86 | View Davenport details → |
| Ankeny | Polk County | $97.40 | $45.00 | $40.00 | $44.09 | $226.49 | View Ankeny details → |
| Ames | Story County | $115.66 | $33.95 | $37.00 | $30.00 | $216.61 | View Ames details → |
| Des Moines | Polk County | $97.40 | $41.85 | $53.60 | $17.91 | $210.76 | View Des Moines details → |
| Sioux City | Woodbury County | $97.40 | $44.69 | $45.00 | $18.38 | $205.47 | View Sioux City details → |
| Council Bluffs | Pottawattamie County | $97.40 | $32.30 | $35.00 | $22.00 | $186.70 | View Council Bluffs details → |
| Iowa City | Johnson County | $97.40 | $32.99 | $33.00 | $22.50 | $185.89 | View Iowa City details → |
| Cedar Rapids | Linn County | $97.40 | $39.78 | $41.00 | $0.00 | $178.18 | View Cedar Rapids details → |
Iowa counties
View estimated utility costs by county. Each county page lists cities and a comparison table of monthly estimates.
Compare with nearby states
Compare utility costs in Iowa with neighboring states.
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