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