Hills is a small town of 889 in Iowa, with a median household income of $78,406
and a 0.7% unemployment rate.
Its cost of living index is 92 (US average = 100), which is
8% below the national average.
Strengths:
Hills stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, short average commutes.
Trade-offs:
No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Hills is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Hills city data on this page comes from official government sources —
the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 91.8
Hills's overall cost of living index is 91.8,
where 100 represents the US national average.
Living in Hills costs roughly 8% less than the average American city.
Metric
Hills, IA
National Avg
Median Home Value
$214,100
$244,900
Median Monthly Rent
$1,179
$1,163
Homeownership Rate
65.4%
65.9%
Median Household Income
$78,406
$74,755
Crime & Safety
Safer than Average
Hills's violent crime rate is 238.2 per 100,000 residents
— 37% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Violent Crime
238.2 /100k
Property Crime
1338.5 /100k
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Metric
Hills, IA
National Avg
School District
N/A
—
Elementary Schools
N/A
—
Middle Schools
N/A
—
High Schools
N/A
—
Student/Teacher Ratio
N/A
16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
26.3%
35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher
94.7%
91.1%
Weather & Climate
Hills sees average highs of 29.3°F in January
and 84.4°F in July,
with 38.5 inches of annual precipitation
and 27.5 inches of snow per year.
Hills's cost of living index is 92, where 100 is the national average.
That makes Hills roughly 8% less expensive than a typical US city — a meaningful affordability advantage.
The median home price is $214,100 and median rent is $1,179/month.
Hills's violent crime rate is 238.2 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 1338.5 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
School district information is sourced from NCES Common Core of Data.
Hills, IA has a population of 889, a median household income of $78,406, and an unemployment rate of 0.7%.
It offers below-average costs of living, which stretches take-home pay further than in most American cities. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Hills averages 29.3°F in January and 84.4°F in July. Annual rainfall is 38.5 inches
with about 27.5 inches of snow per year.
Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Hills, IA is covered by 1 ZIP code: 52235.
The population of Hills, Iowa is 889 with a median age of 40.8. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Hills: cost of living index 92 (100 = US average), median home $214,100, median household income $78,406, crime index 63 (100 = US average, lower is safer). Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Hills side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.
