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Colorado

Moderate tax burden · COL index 110

Wins 5 categories

VS

Iowa

Moderate tax burden · COL index 88

Wins 10 categories

Cost of living in Colorado (index 110) runs 25% higher than Iowa (index 88). Property taxes are meaningfully different: Iowa averages 1.42% annually vs Colorado's 0.48%. The median home in Colorado costs $545K vs $215K in Iowa. Politically, Iowa voted Republican in 2024 (R+13.0) while Colorado went Democratic (D+11.0).

Colorado
Iowa

Taxes

4.4%
Income Tax (top rate)
3.8%
0.48%/yr
Property Tax Rate
1.42%/yr
7.76%
Sales Tax (avg)
6.94%
No
Social Security Tax
Yes
Yes
Estate Tax
Yes
As income
Capital Gains Tax
As income

Housing & Cost of Living

110
COL Index (100=avg)
88
$545K
Median Home Price
$215K
$1,850/mo
Median Rent (2BR/mo)
$1,050/mo
$3K/yr
Home Insurance (avg/yr)
$2K/yr

Crime & Safety

453
Violent Crime / 100K
284
2,859
Property Crime / 100K
1,626

Healthcare

#9 of 50
Healthcare Quality Rank
#21 of 50
78.8 yrs
Life Expectancy
78 yrs
7.4%
Uninsured Rate
5.8%
Yes
Medicaid Expansion
Yes

Education

#9 of 50
K-12 Quality Rank
#15 of 50
No
School Choice / Vouchers
Yes

Childcare

$1,600/mo
Avg Infant Care / mo
$1,100/mo

Utilities & Daily Costs

$130/mo
Avg Energy Bill / mo
$135/mo
$530/mo
Avg Groceries / mo
$440/mo
#30 of 50
Road Quality Rank
#8 of 50

Social Policy

A-
Gun Laws Grade
F
D+11.0
2024 Presidential Margin
R+13.0

Category wins

5

Colorado

10

Iowa

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Annual Income

$150K

Affects effective income tax rate

$0$500K$5M+

Retirement Savings

$0

Affects pension and SS tax burden

None$500K$10M+

Social Security

None

Annual Social Security benefit

None$150K/yr

My Property Is Worth

$400K

Affects property tax burden

Tax burden ↓$1M$50M+

Home Buying Budget

$400K

Compared to state median home price

Hard to find$250K$5M+

Monthly Rent Budget

Don't care

Compared to state median 2BR rent

Don't care$10K/mo

Job Market

Don't care

State unemployment and job growth

Don't careHot market

Airport Access

Don't care

Direct flight destinations from state hubs

Don't careMust have hub

City vs Country

Mid-size city

% urban population

Deep countryBig city

Sunshine

Don't care

Annual sunny days per state

Don't careMax sunshine

Food Scene

Don't care

Restaurants per 100K residents

Don't careWorld-class

Political Preference

Neutral

State's political lean

LiberalConservative

Gun Laws

Neutral

State gun law grade (Giffords)

Gun Control2A Freedom

Abortion Access

Neutral

State abortion access policy

Pro-ChoiceNeutralPro-Life

Community

None

Congregations per 100K residents

AvoidDon't careSeek

Sports & Entertainment

Don't care

Pro sports teams and major venues

Don't careMust have pro teams

Cannabis Laws

Neutral

State cannabis legality

Prefer LegalNeutralPrefer Prohibition

Retiree Community

Neutral

% population 65+ (Census)

Young areaRetirement-heavy

Dating Market

Neutral

% adults never-married (Census)

Singles sceneFamily community

Safety / Low Crime

Don't care

Violent crime rate per 100K (FBI)

Don't careVery safe

School Quality

Don't care

K-12 rank (Education Week)

Don't careTop-ranked

Healthcare Access

Don't care

Healthcare system rank (Commonwealth Fund)

Don't careTop-ranked

Childcare Affordability

Don't care

Cost of living proxy for childcare affordability

Don't careMust be affordable