2026 editionMidwestPop. 3,238,387Capital Des Moines29th state, admitted 1846Cook PVI R+10
Is Iowa a Good Place to Live? Iowa Rankings, Cost of Living, Crime & Taxes
Iowa ranks #14 of 50 with a composite score of 69.2 and a B+ grade, strongest in affordability (#5) and weakest in livability (#34). The median household earns $75,501 (7% below the national median), homes typically cost $239,547 (35% below the national average), and violent crime is 234 per 100,000 (29% below the national average).
Iowa fits anyone who wants to buy a house on an ordinary salary: price to income is 3.2x, #2, and a family of four at $75,000 comes out $9,441 above the national median. The catch newcomers miss is a property tax rate of 1.49%, well above the national 1.02%, and services that thin out beyond the Des Moines ring.
Iowa by the numbers
Six measures every state is judged on, each with Iowa's rank of 50 and the national figure beside it.
Sources, latest releases: Census Bureau ACS (income), Zillow Research (home value), BEA Regional Price Parities (cost index), FBI state crime estimates (crime), BLS LAUS (unemployment), WalletHub tax burden study (taxes). Rank 1 is the best value in each measure: highest income, lowest cost, lowest crime.
Read the Iowa overview
Iowa scores above the national average in 8 of 11 categories and ranks #6 of 12 states in the Midwest, behind 5 regional neighbors. Its biggest edge over the country is typical home value ($239,547, 35% below the national average); its biggest shortfall is median household income ($75,501, 7% below the national median). With 2 top-10 finishes and no bottom-10 category, its weaknesses are relative, not absolute.
Where does Iowa rank in each category?
All 11 categories that make up the composite, heaviest weight first. Iowa is top 10 in 2 and bottom 10 in 0.
| Category | Score | Rank | Grade | Weight | US avg | The numbers behind it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | 48.8 | #24 of 50 | B | 15% | 47.1 | Its unemployment rate is 3.5% and median household income is $75,501. |
| Safety | 79.8 | #12 of 50 | B+ | 12% | 68.9 | The FBI estimates 233.9 violent crimes and 1,171.7 property crimes per 100,000 residents. |
| Health | 60.3 | #20 of 50 | B | 12% | 54.4 | Life expectancy is 77.9 years, 36.6% of adults have obesity, and 5.4% of residents are uninsured. |
| Education | 69.0 | #9 of 50 | A | 12% | 57.5 | Eighth graders average 275 in NAEP math and 261 in reading, and the high school graduation rate is 89.9%. |
| Affordability | 86.3 | #5 of 50 | A+ | 10% | 65.2 | Typical home value $239,547 (3.2x median income); cost of living index 87.8 (100 = US); center-based infant care $13,253 a year. |
| Fiscal Health | 66.0 | #14 of 50 | B+ | 8% | 58.1 | It carries $2,650 of debt per resident, has 87% of pensions funded, and holds a AAA credit rating. |
| Growth | 35.0 | #29 of 50 | C+ | 7% | 38.8 | Population grew 0.25% last year; Census net domestic migration is -0.3 per 1,000 residents (the Moving section below uses IRS household counts, a different series). |
| Transportation | 55.6 | #13 of 50 | B+ | 7% | 49.8 | The average commute is 20.4 minutes, 0.8% of workers use public transit, and 9.9% work from home. |
| Livability | 27.6 | #34 of 50 | C+ | 7% | 34.3 | It has 1.657 restaurants and 0.017 arts venues per 1,000 residents, plus 0.268 bars and 0.096 social associations per 1,000. |
| Outdoor Access | 22.4 | #28 of 50 | C+ | 6% | 29.4 | 1.1% of its land is public, with 3.87 recreation facilities per 10,000 residents. |
| Environment | 46.7 | #17 of 50 | B+ | 4% | 42.5 | Its median air quality index is 43, 67% of its electricity is renewable, and its FEMA disaster risk score is 38.3. |
Weight, US average and the evidence sentence for each category are shown on wider screens.
Grades follow rank, not score: A+ for ranks 1–5, A for 6–10, B+ for 11–18, B for 19–26, C+ for 27–34, C for 35–42, D for 43–48, F for 49–50. US avg is the mean score of the 50 states. Click a category for its 50-state ranking.
Category shape
Iowa's 11 category scores. A balanced state fills the wheel evenly; Iowa bulges toward affordability and dips at livability.
How expensive is Iowa?
Iowa's cost of living index is 87.8 against a national baseline of 100, 12% below the national average and #3 of 50 (1 = cheapest). The typical home is worth $239,547 (35% below the national average); buying it takes an income of about $70,437, $5,064 less than the median household earns. Inside the state the spread is wide: among tracked cities, Marshalltown is cheapest (index 84.1) and Council Bluffs priciest (91.9).
Housing market snapshot · August
Warm marketRanked #44 of 50 most expensive by typical value and #2 on price relative to income (1 = most affordable). The median household earns enough to buy the typical home.
Full Iowa housing market: 26-year chart, rent vs. buy, cities →What a household keeps at $75,000
| Household | Iowa | Median state | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family of fourTwo adults, two kids, one in daycare | −$2,317 | −$11,758 | #13 of 50 |
| Single adultOne-bedroom rent, no childcare | +$35,836 | +$31,418 | #12 of 50 |
| Retiree coupleOwn the home, no payroll tax | +$40,466 | +$35,970 | #12 of 50 |
Take-home pay minus housing, childcare, utilities, groceries and transport for a $75,000 household, from the affordability engine. Positive = money left over; negative = costs exceed take-home. Rank 1 = most left over.
What are taxes like in Iowa?
Iowa's tax mix is low income tax, high property tax, with sales tax in the middle of the pack. The total state and local tax burden comes to 9.23% of income, 0.5 points above the national average (#34 of 50, 1 = lightest). Property tax is 1.49% of home value (#41), and combined sales tax averages 6.94% (#22).
Tax Foundation (rates) and WalletHub tax burden study (burden as a share of income), latest releases. Rank 1 = lowest. Income tax is the top marginal rate including typical local taxes where they apply.
Can the state pay its bills?
Fiscal health scores 66 out of 100, #14 of 50. Pew Fiscal 50, Census state finances and the rating agencies, latest releases.
Is Iowa safe?
Iowa reports 234 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 29% below the national average and #16 of 50 (1 = safest). Property crime runs 1,172 per 100,000, 24% below the national average (#11 of 50). The safety score is 79.8 out of 100, #12 of 50; among tracked cities, Bettendorf has the lowest violent crime rate.
Iowa vs. the United States, per 100,000 residents
FBI state crime estimates, latest release. US is the mean of the 50 states; blue = below it, terracotta = above it. Florida and North Dakota use the FBI's prior-year estimate because their latest year is based on limited data.
Safest tracked cities in Iowa
| City | Population | Violent / 100K | Property / 100K |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ames | 67,669 | 103 | 1,267 |
| West Des Moines | 71,083 | 147 | 1,529 |
| Ankeny | 72,615 | 151 | 1,032 |
| Iowa City | 75,752 | 257 | 1,606 |
| Cedar Rapids | 137,264 | 265 | 2,135 |
Lowest violent crime among the 20 Iowa cities we track with 50,000 or more residents. City rates come from each city's police agency and are not strictly comparable across agencies.
What is the job market like in Iowa?
Iowa's unemployment rate is 3.5%, 0.5 points below the national average and #15 of 50 (1 = lowest), and the median household earns $75,501, 7% below the national median. Real GDP grew +1.2% in the latest year (#43 of 50) and GDP per capita is $64,764, 1% above the national average. The population is growing 0.25% a year, 0.3 points below the national average. The economy score is 48.8 out of 100, #24 of 50.
Census Bureau ACS (income), BLS LAUS (unemployment), BEA (GDP), Census population estimates (growth), latest releases.
Highest-paying tracked occupations in Iowa, adjusted for cost of living
| Occupation | Cost-adjusted | Median wage | Metro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physicians | $241,727 | $215,137 | Des Moines-West Des Moines |
| Lawyers | $143,340 | $127,573 | Des Moines-West Des Moines |
| Software Developers | $141,671 | $126,087 | Des Moines-West Des Moines |
| Computer Systems Analysts | $107,679 | $95,834 | Des Moines-West Des Moines |
| General & Operations Managers | $105,399 | $93,805 | Des Moines-West Des Moines |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, latest release, for the 20 occupations we track. Cost-adjusted wage divides the metro median by its cost of living index.
How are Iowa's schools and healthcare?
Iowa's education score is 69 out of 100, #9 of 50. Eighth graders average 275 in NAEP math (#23 of 50) and 261 in reading (#10 of 50), and the high school graduation rate is 89.9%, 4.3 points above the national average (#6 of 50).
Iowa is #20 of 50 for health, with a life expectancy of 77.9 years, 1.0 years above the national average. 36.6% of adults have obesity (#34 of 50) and 5.4% of residents have no health insurance (#11 of 50). The health score is 60.3 out of 100, weighted 12% of the composite.
CDC National Center for Health Statistics (state life tables), CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (obesity), and Census Bureau American Community Survey (health insurance), latest releases.
Who is moving to Iowa, and who is leaving?
Iowa lost a net 2,414 households to other states in the latest IRS release: 33,544 moved in and 35,958 moved out, -0.7 per 1,000 residents (#34 of 50). Arriving households report an average income of $61,608 against $64,883 for those leaving. The Census Bureau's American Community Survey, which counts people rather than households, shows a net -10.3K people (59.2K in, 69.5K out, ±8.5K), consistent with the IRS direction.
Where they come from
- 1Illinois5,280 · $58,067
- 2Nebraska3,172 · $57,630
- 3Minnesota2,324 · $66,038
- 4Texas2,099 · $59,079
- 5California1,830 · $67,794
Households and their average income. Click a state to compare it head to head; households arrived from these states in the latest IRS release.
Where should you live in Iowa?
By composite score, the best of the 20 Iowa cities we track are Waukee (70.9), Urbandale (69.9), and Ankeny (69). Marshalltown is the cheapest (cost index 84.1), Urbandale the richest ($112,795), and Waukee the fastest growing (+9.3% a year). City ranks are among the 20 Iowa cities we cover, not every city in the state.
Standout cities in Iowa
| Best for | City | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Safest | Bettendorf | 94 violent crimes per 100K |
| Cheapest | Marshalltown | cost of living index 84.1 |
| Most walkable | Fort Dodge | walkability 14.9 of 20 |
| Cleanest air | Iowa City | median AQI 37 (county) |
| Best schools | Urbandale | 98.3% graduation rate |
| Richest | Urbandale | $112,795 |
Among the 20 Iowa cities we track. Safest uses a full year of FBI reports from the city's own police agency; air quality is measured by county, so cities in the same county share a reading.
Regions of Iowa
The state's growth engine: insurance towers downtown, Waukee, Ankeny and Urbandale filling with new subdivisions, the highest incomes and the priciest homes in Iowa.
Aerospace and food processing meet the university; strong hospitals, student rents in Iowa City, and Marion as the cheap family choice next door.
Davenport, Bettendorf, Dubuque: river-bluff cities with Deere paychecks, older housing, higher crime in the cores, and Illinois across the bridge.
Waterloo and Cedar Falls, Ames, Mason City: college towns and factory towns in flat farm country, cold, cheap, and closer to Minneapolis than to Kansas City.
Sioux City, Council Bluffs, Ottumwa: meatpacking, the Omaha commute, and the lowest home prices in the state with the thinnest services.
All 20 tracked cities, best to worst
| # | City | Grade | Score | Population | Income | Violent / 100K | Cost index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Waukee | A+ | 70.9 | 29,236 | $101,029 | 139 | 91.7 |
| 2 | Urbandale | A+ | 69.9 | 46,595 | $112,795 | 122 | 91.7 |
| 3 | Ankeny | A+ | 69.0 | 72,615 | $108,198 | 151 | 91.7 |
| 4 | Marion | A+ | 67.3 | 41,896 | $86,743 | 126 | 89 |
| 5 | West Des Moines | A | 66.1 | 71,083 | $86,594 | 147 | 91.7 |
| 6 | Bettendorf | A | 65.5 | 39,647 | $100,495 | 94 | 89.1 |
| 7 | Cedar Falls | B+ | 61.5 | 40,888 | $76,987 | 135 | 87.1 |
| 8 | Ames | B+ | 60.8 | 67,669 | $60,991 | 103 | 88.8 |
| 9 | Cedar Rapids | B+ | 60.3 | 137,264 | $70,424 | 265 | 89 |
| 10 | Iowa City | B+ | 59.3 | 75,752 | $58,546 | 257 | 91.5 |
| 11 | Dubuque | B | 58.6 | 59,174 | $65,845 | 405 | 87.3 |
| 12 | Mason City | B | 57.0 | 27,050 | $64,804 | 354 | 84.1 |
| 13 | Sioux City | C+ | 54.6 | 86,101 | $68,906 | 495 | 86.5 |
| 14 | Marshalltown | C+ | 54.0 | 27,626 | $69,068 | 283 | 84.1 |
| 15 | Council Bluffs | C | 52.1 | 62,586 | $64,578 | 525 | 91.9 |
| 16 | Des Moines | C | 52.0 | 212,421 | $65,932 | 642 | 91.7 |
| 17 | Ottumwa | C | 51.6 | 25,430 | $61,103 | 272 | 84.1 |
| 18 | Fort Dodge | C | 50.1 | 24,827 | $60,649 | 940 | 84.1 |
| 19 | Waterloo | C | 49.8 | 67,008 | $57,480 | 472 | 87.1 |
| 20 | Davenport | C | 49.7 | 100,913 | $66,200 | 652 | 89.1 |
Swipe the table sideways for more columns. Rank is among the 20 Iowa cities we track: every city of 50,000 or more, plus the state's other largest places. City scores use city-level Census, FBI, BLS, CDC, EPA and NCES data, and a category with no city data is left out of the score rather than filled with the state's figure.
Best cities in Iowa for…
| # | City | Score | Education | Safety | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Urbandale | 73.6 | 67.8 | 95.3 | 73.7 |
| 2 | Marion | 73.1 | 65.0 | 94.4 | 82.3 |
| 3 | Ankeny | 71.9 | 64.6 | 89.8 | 72.6 |
| 4 | Waukee | 71.3 | 63.5 | 93.5 | 71.0 |
| 5 | West Des Moines | 70.4 | 65.9 | 86.4 | 74.6 |
Who is Iowa best for?
The same 11 category scores, re-weighted for six kinds of household. Rank is among the 50 states; click through for the best Iowa cities for each.
Weights differ by household: families lean on education, safety and housing; retirees on fiscal health, healthcare and cost. See the weights →
How does Iowa compare with its neighbors?
Iowa ranks #14. Among its bordering states, South Dakota ranks highest (#3) and Illinois lowest (#39). Minnesota is the most similar on the composite score and Illinois the most different. Bordering states are listed best to worst; the national line is the mean of the 50 states.
| State | Overall | Score | Median income | Typical home | Cost index | Violent crime | Tax burden | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | #14 | 69.2 | $75,501 | $239,547 | 87.8 | 234 | 9.23% | |
| South Dakota | #3 | 79.3 | $76,881 | $321,574 | 88.6 | 308 | 6.46% | Compare → |
| Nebraska | #10 | 71.1 | $76,376 | $280,673 | 90.1 | 218 | 8.78% | Compare → |
| Wisconsin | #11 | 70.6 | $77,488 | $339,699 | 94.1 | 240 | 8.31% | Compare → |
| Minnesota | #12 | 70.4 | $87,117 | $350,752 | 98.6 | 224 | 9.72% | Compare → |
| Missouri | #34 | 51.0 | $71,589 | $267,879 | 90.8 | 418 | 7.83% | Compare → |
| Illinois | #39 | 47.6 | $83,211 | $297,573 | 100 | 251 | 10.22% | Compare → |
| United States | — | 57.9 | $80,903 | $368,697 | 100 | 328 | 8.74% |
Overall rank, median income, cost index and tax burden columns are shown on wider screens.
How the score works
Eleven categories, each scored 0–100 and weighted into one composite. Grades follow rank.
The weights
Economy 15% · Safety 12% · Health 12% · Education 12% · Affordability 10% · Fiscal Health 8% · Growth 7% · Transportation 7% · Livability 7% · Outdoor Access 6% · Environment 4%. The composite is the weighted sum, stretched linearly so states spread across most of the 0–100 range.
From raw numbers to scores
Every raw measure is placed on a 0–100 scale between a fixed floor and ceiling, inverted where lower is better (crime, cost, taxes), then combined within its category. The same scale applies to every state.
Letter grades
Grades follow rank, not score: A+ for ranks 1–5, A for 6–10, B+ for 11–18, B for 19–26, C+ for 27–34, C for 35–42, D for 43–48, F for 49–50. A C+ state is not failing; it is in the middle third.
Cities, budgets and neighbors
The 20 Iowa city scores, the household budgets and the neighbor table on this page are computed from the same sources as the state score. City ranks are among the cities we track, not all cities in the state.
Editor's notes
Passages marked as editor's notes are written for this state and add context the numbers cannot: regions, tradeoffs, who the state fits. Every figure inside them is pulled from the data at build time, so the words cannot drift from the numbers.
Always the latest release
Each source is the most recent release its agency has published. The page is rebuilt when a source updates, so the score can move without any change in the state itself.
What the score cannot tell you
Weather and climate, culture and pace, politics beyond the Cook index shown for context, the quality of a specific school, hospital or neighborhood, job prospects in your field, and anything without a public, comparable, 50-state source. Statewide averages also hide the metro-versus-rural split, which is why the editor's notes name places.
Category briefs
Economy: Unemployment rate and median household income. Safety: Violent and property crime rates per 100,000 residents. Health: Health outcomes, behaviors, and access to care. Education: K-12 school quality, test scores, and graduation rates. Full methodology →
Key takeaways
What the Iowa numbers say when read together.
Affordability is Iowa's strongest suit
Iowa is a #14 state overall but #5 of 50 for affordability, 9 places better than its composite rank, with a score of 86.3 against a national average of 65.2. Education (#9) is next. Affordability carries 10% of the composite.
Livability is where Iowa falls furthest behind
Iowa ranks #34 of 50 for livability, 20 places below its overall #14, with a score of 27.6 against a national average of 34.3. At 7% of the composite, it is the category holding the overall score down most.
Typical home value is 35% below the national average
Iowa's typical home value is $239,547, 35% below the national average of $368,697, #7 of 50 (1 = cheapest). The largest gap in the other direction is median household income: $75,501, 7% below the national median. Source: Zillow Research ZHVI, latest release.
More households leave than arrive
Iowa ranks #34 of 50 on net household flow per 1,000 residents (-0.7). The households arriving report $3,275 less in average income than those leaving ($61,608 against $64,883), so the state is trading down on income even as the headcount shrinks. Illinois is both the largest source and the largest destination.
A middle income is squeezed less here than in most states
A family of four earning $75,000 ends the year at a $2,317 shortfall after housing, childcare, utilities, groceries, transport and taxes, against a $11,758 shortfall in the median state (#13 of 50). A single adult on the same income comes out at a $35,836 surplus; a retiree couple at a $40,466 surplus. Infant childcare runs $13,253 a year, 15% below the national average.
Iowa sits 5th among its 7-state neighborhood
4 of Iowa's 6 bordering states rank above its #14; the closest match on the composite is Minnesota. Median income among them runs from $71,589 in Missouri to $87,117 in Minnesota; Iowa is at $75,501.
Frequently asked questions about living in Iowa
Is Iowa a good place to live?
Iowa ranks #14 of 50 with a B+ grade, #6 of 12 in the Midwest. It is top 10 in affordability and education. On the six headline measures it beats the national figure on 4 of 6 (home prices, cost of living, violent crime, and unemployment) and trails on income and tax burden. Whether that adds up to a good place to live depends on what you weigh; the household rankings below re-weight the same numbers for families, retirees and remote workers.
Where does Iowa rank among US states?
Iowa ranks #14 of 50 overall with a composite score of 69.2 (grade B+), and #6 of 12 states in the Midwest. Its best category rank is #5 (affordability) and its worst #34 (livability). The composite weights eleven categories, with economy, safety, health and education counting most; grades follow rank, so B+ means rank 11–18.
Is it expensive to live in Iowa?
At #3 of 50 for cost of living (1 = cheapest), Iowa is 12% below the national average: its index is 87.8 against a national baseline of 100. The typical home value is $239,547 (35% below the national average), and buying it takes an income of about $70,437 against a median household income of $75,501. At $75,000, a family of four comes out at a $2,317 shortfall after all costs, #13 of 50 (1 = most left over).
Does Iowa have a state income tax?
Yes. Iowa's top state income tax rate is 3.8% (#13 of 50, 1 = lowest), and the total state and local tax burden is 9.23% of income, 0.5 points above the national average. Property tax is 1.49% of home value and combined sales tax 6.94%.
What is the crime rate in Iowa?
Iowa reports 234 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 29% below the national average and #16 of 50 (1 = safest), and 1,172 property crimes per 100,000, 24% below the national average (#11). Its safety score is 79.8 out of 100, #12 of 50. Figures are FBI estimates from the latest release.
Does Iowa have good schools?
Iowa is #9 of 50 for education (score 69 out of 100). Its public school students average 275 in eighth-grade math on NAEP (#23) and 261 in eighth-grade reading (#10), and the high school graduation rate is 89.9%, 4.3 points above the national average (#6). Among tracked cities with at least three schools, Urbandale has the highest graduation rate at 98.3%.
Why are people leaving Iowa?
Iowa lost a net 2,414 households in the latest IRS release: 33,544 moved in and 35,958 moved out, -0.7 per 1,000 residents (#34 of 50). The largest source of arrivals is Illinois (5,280 households) and the most common destination is Illinois (4,586). Arriving households report an average income of $61,608 against $64,883 for those leaving, so movers out earn more than movers in. The IRS files count tax returns and say nothing about motives.
Is Iowa a red or blue state?
Iowa leans red: its Cook Partisan Voting Index is R+10, meaning it votes about 10 points more Republican than the country as a whole. The political lean is shown for context and is not part of the composite score.
Why is Iowa so cheap?
Because land is plentiful, incomes are middling and almost nobody is competing for the house. Population grows +0.25% a year, so builders in the Des Moines suburbs keep up, and the older cities have more housing than households. The typical home is $239,547, 35% below the national average, yet values still rose +3.5% in a year. The exception is Iowa City, where students and the hospital keep prices up.
Does Iowa get tornadoes?
Yes, plus floods and derechos. Disaster risk scores 38.3, 29% above the national average, from spring tornadoes, river flooding on the Cedar and the Mississippi, and straight-line wind events called derechos, one of which flattened much of Cedar Rapids' tree canopy. Basements are standard, sirens are tested monthly, and flood insurance matters in the river towns. Winter ice storms close the interstates a few times a season.
Is Iowa a good place to retire?
Depends what you're retiring on. A pension or withdrawals: Iowa excludes retirement income from state tax after fifty-five, and a retiree couple at $75,000 comes out at a $40,466 surplus, #12 of 50. A big house: property tax of 1.49% keeps taking its cut. Health access is strong near Iowa City and Des Moines, thin beyond, and life expectancy is 77.9 years. The state ranks #8 for retirees.
What is it like living in Iowa?
Quiet, orderly and close to the ground. Commutes average 20.4 minutes, among the shortest between the coasts, and most towns are built around a school, a co-op and a Casey's. The Des Moines metro is a real city now. The rest runs on the crop calendar: planting in April, harvest in October, high school football in between. Winters are long, and the wind never stops.
How is the air quality in Iowa?
Worse than the cornfields suggest. The median air quality index is 43, 11% above the national average, #39 of 50. The causes are agricultural: ammonia from livestock and fertilizer, dust from field work, and summer ozone along the Des Moines and Cedar Rapids corridors. Water is the bigger environmental argument in Iowa; nitrate from farm runoff is a regular topic at the Des Moines utility.
All the numbers
Every metric behind Iowa's 11 category scores, with the national figure beside each. Pick a category.