State comparison
Idaho vs Iowa: which state is better to live in?
Idaho costs a median household about $360 a year less in state and local taxes than Iowa, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $2,040 a year against $3,053 in Iowa, though everyday prices run higher there (cost of living index 96 against 88).
Idaho
Moderate tax burden · COL index 96
Wins 6 categories
Iowa
Moderate tax burden · COL index 88
Wins 8 categories
Taxes: Idaho vs Iowa
Idaho has a flat 5.8% income tax, which works out to 5.0% on a median income of $74,580, or $3,698 a year. Iowa has a flat 3.8% income tax, which works out to 3.8% on a median income of $74,580, or $2,834 a year. Iowa wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.48% of home value a year in Idaho and 1.42% in Iowa (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $2,040 against $3,053, so Idaho has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 6.02% in Idaho and 6.94% in Iowa; Idaho is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $7,085 a year in Idaho, $7,440 in Iowa. Idaho is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Idaho's cost of living index is 96 and Iowa's is 88, where 100 is the national average; Iowa is about 9% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $425K in Idaho and $215K in Iowa (Zillow, 2024), a $210K gap in Iowa's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,500 a month in Idaho and $1,050 in Iowa.
Home insurance averages $800 a year in Idaho and $1,700 in Iowa, so Idaho is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 228 incidents per 100,000 residents in Idaho and 284 in Iowa (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Idaho is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 25% lower. Property crime is 1,535 per 100,000 in Idaho against 1,626 in Iowa, again favoring Idaho.
Health
Life expectancy is 77.7 years in Idaho and 78 in Iowa (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 0.3-year edge for Iowa. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Idaho's health system 32nd of 50 and Iowa's 21st, so Iowa scores better on care.
9.0% of Idaho residents have no health insurance against 5.8% in Iowa, which favors Iowa. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Idaho's K-12 schools 30th in the country and Iowa's 15th, 15 places apart in Iowa's favor. Iowa runs a school-choice voucher program; Idaho does not.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Idaho went to Trump by 30 points and Iowa went to Trump by 13 points.
Idaho has permitless carry and a Giffords gun-law grade of F; Iowa has permitless carry and a grade of F.
Abortion is banned with narrow exceptions in both states, and marijuana is illegal in Idaho and medical only in Iowa as of 2026. The minimum wage is $7.25 an hour in Idaho and $7.25 in Iowa.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in Idaho (wildfire, earthquake) and high in Iowa (tornado, flood, blizzard), so Idaho is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 48 in Idaho and 34 in Iowa (under 50 is good), favoring Iowa.
Tax figures use a household earning the national median income and owning each state's median home, at tax year 2026 rates, last checked against state sources on 2026-09-14. The table below has every number.
Taxes
Housing & Cost of Living
Crime & Safety
Healthcare
Education
Childcare
Utilities & Daily Costs
Social Policy
Category wins
6
Idaho
8
Iowa
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Idaho or Iowa better to live in?
It depends on what you weigh most. Idaho on taxes ($7,085 a year for a median household against $7,440); Iowa on everyday costs (index 88 against 96); Idaho on safety (228 violent crimes per 100,000 against 284); Iowa on schools (ranked 15th against 30th).
Which is cheaper, Idaho or Iowa?
Iowa is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 88 against 96. The median home is $425K in Idaho and $215K in Iowa (2024). On state and local taxes Idaho saves a median household about $360 a year.
Does Idaho or Iowa have lower taxes?
Idaho. A household earning $74,580 pays about $7,085 a year in Idaho ($3,698 income tax, $2,040 property tax on the median home and $1,347 in sales tax) and $7,440 in Iowa ($2,834 income tax, $3,053 property tax on the median home and $1,553 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Idaho or Iowa?
Idaho, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 228 per 100,000 residents in Idaho and 284 in Iowa; property crime is 1,535 against 1,626.
Which has better schools, Idaho or Iowa?
Iowa. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Idaho 30th of 50 for K-12 and Iowa 15th. Iowa also offers school-choice vouchers.
Is Idaho or Iowa better for retirees?
Iowa is friendlier to retirees on paper. Idaho does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax; Iowa does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax. Property tax on a median home is $2,040 a year in Idaho and $3,053 in Iowa.