State comparison
Iowa vs Maryland: which state is better to live in?
Iowa costs a median household about $1,500 a year less in state and local taxes than Maryland, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $3,053 a year against $4,074 in Maryland.
Iowa
Moderate tax burden · COL index 88
Wins 10 categories
Maryland
High tax burden · COL index 116
Wins 5 categories
Taxes: Iowa vs Maryland
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. Maryland has a graduated income tax topping out at 5.75%, which works out to 4.7% on a median income of $74,580, or $3,490 a year. Iowa wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 1.42% of home value a year in Iowa and 0.97% in Maryland (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $3,053 against $4,074, so Maryland has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 6.94% in Iowa and 6.00% in Maryland; Maryland 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, $8,906 in Maryland. Iowa is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Iowa's cost of living index is 88 and Maryland's is 116, where 100 is the national average; Iowa is about 32% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $215K in Iowa and $420K in Maryland (Zillow, 2024), a $205K gap in Iowa's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,050 a month in Iowa and $1,950 in Maryland.
Home insurance averages $1,700 a year in Iowa and $1,600 in Maryland, so Maryland is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 284 incidents per 100,000 residents in Iowa and 468 in Maryland (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Iowa is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 65% lower. Property crime is 1,626 per 100,000 in Iowa against 1,734 in Maryland, again favoring Iowa.
Health
Life expectancy is 78 years in Iowa and 77.4 in Maryland (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 0.6-year edge for Iowa. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Iowa's health system 21st of 50 and Maryland's 12th, so Maryland scores better on care.
5.8% of Iowa residents have no health insurance against 6.5% in Maryland, 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 Maryland's 4th, 11 places apart in Maryland's favor. Iowa runs a school-choice voucher program; Maryland does not.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Iowa went to Trump by 13 points and Maryland went to Harris by 24 points.
Iowa has permitless carry and a Giffords gun-law grade of F; Maryland has may-issue carry permits and a grade of A, so Maryland regulates guns more tightly and Iowa is the friendlier state for gun owners.
Abortion is banned with narrow exceptions in Iowa and protected by state law in Maryland, and marijuana is medical only in Iowa and legal for adults in Maryland as of 2026. The minimum wage is $7.25 an hour in Iowa and $15.00 in Maryland.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is high in Iowa (tornado, flood, blizzard) and moderate in Maryland (hurricane, flood), so Maryland is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 34 in Iowa and 40 in Maryland (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
10
Iowa
5
Maryland
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Iowa or Maryland better to live in?
Iowa wins more of the measures that decide a move. Iowa on taxes ($7,440 a year for a median household against $8,906); Iowa on everyday costs (index 88 against 116); Iowa on safety (284 violent crimes per 100,000 against 468); Maryland on schools (ranked 4th against 15th).
Which is cheaper, Iowa or Maryland?
Iowa is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 88 against 116. The median home is $215K in Iowa and $420K in Maryland (2024). On state and local taxes Iowa saves a median household about $1,500 a year.
Does Iowa or Maryland have lower taxes?
Iowa. 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 $8,906 in Maryland ($3,490 income tax, $4,074 property tax on the median home and $1,342 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Iowa or Maryland?
Iowa, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 284 per 100,000 residents in Iowa and 468 in Maryland; property crime is 1,626 against 1,734.
Which has better schools, Iowa or Maryland?
Maryland. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Iowa 15th of 50 for K-12 and Maryland 4th. Iowa also offers school-choice vouchers.
Is Iowa or Maryland 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; Maryland does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has an estate tax. Property tax on a median home is $3,053 a year in Iowa and $4,074 in Maryland.