The Cost of Living Diaries: Sioux City, IA

Get the inside scoop on what it's like to be a local in Sioux City, Iowa.

By Lindsey Hyde on March 31, 2023

iStock.com/Matthew Howieson

Welcome to The Cost of Living Diaries. How much does it cost to live in Sioux City, IA? What’s it like to own a business here? Keep reading because we asked a Sioux City local to tell us all about the cost of living in this beautiful city!

In northwest Iowa, Sioux City serves as the regional hub for portions of southeast South Dakota and northeast Nebraska. Here, residents enjoy great outdoor recreation, a flourishing dining scene, unique shops, excellent art attractions and much more.

Emily Vollmar, a Holstein native, moved away for college and work but returned when she got married in 2008. In 2022, she moved to Sioux City to open Rooted Boutique, a women’s clothing store that has an additional location in her hometown of Holstein.

How would you describe Sioux City?
It’s kind of the best of both worlds. There are a lot of amenities of a bigger city – restaurants and retail, but it also has a very small-town feel, with the close-knit community, not a lot of traffic, and the market isn’t saturated in any certain business.

What do you love about living here?
People have Midwest values, and I share parenting and just life priorities with my neighbors, friends and community. People are very supportive of one another’s businesses and try to support each other before turning to neighboring (city) businesses.

What was your experience like finding housing in Sioux City?
We bought a home in Whispering Creek, which is on the east side of Sioux City – a new development. It was a great place for us because my husband and I drive back and forth to Holstein probably every other day. We got really lucky to find a house right when we were looking for one out there.

What’s your favorite restaurant, and how much would dinner and drinks cost for two?
I love The Diving Elk, which is downtown on Fourth Street. They have a great craft cocktail list, and their menu is constantly changing. It’s locally owned. Dinner and drinks for two would probably be $50.

What’s your favorite coffee shop, and how much is your go-to drink?
There are some great ones – Pierce Street Coffee Works is the closest one to my store downtown. Everything is homemade. And Stone Bru Coffee Co. is a new kind of chain that started in Sioux City. They’re really great, too. I’m a “black coffee” girl, so it’s a $2.50 drink for me.