State comparison
Iowa vs Massachusetts: which state is better to live in?
Iowa costs a median household about $3,700 a year less in state and local taxes than Massachusetts, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $3,053 a year against $6,032 in Massachusetts.
Iowa
Moderate tax burden · COL index 88
Wins 8 categories
Massachusetts
High tax burden · COL index 148
Wins 8 categories
Taxes: Iowa vs Massachusetts
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. Massachusetts has a graduated income tax topping out at 9%, which works out to 5.0% on a median income of $74,580, or $3,729 a year. Iowa wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 1.42% of home value a year in Iowa and 1.04% in Massachusetts (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $3,053 against $6,032, so Massachusetts has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 6.94% in Iowa and 6.25% in Massachusetts; Massachusetts 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, $11,159 in Massachusetts. Iowa is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Iowa's cost of living index is 88 and Massachusetts's is 148, where 100 is the national average; Iowa is about 68% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $215K in Iowa and $580K in Massachusetts (Zillow, 2024), a $365K gap in Iowa's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,050 a month in Iowa and $2,400 in Massachusetts.
Home insurance averages $1,700 a year in Iowa and $1,500 in Massachusetts, so Massachusetts is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 284 incidents per 100,000 residents in Iowa and 338 in Massachusetts (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Iowa is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 19% lower. Property crime is 1,626 per 100,000 in Iowa against 1,283 in Massachusetts, again favoring Massachusetts.
Health
Life expectancy is 78 years in Iowa and 80 in Massachusetts (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 2.0-year edge for Massachusetts. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Iowa's health system 21st of 50 and Massachusetts's 1st, so Massachusetts scores better on care.
5.8% of Iowa residents have no health insurance against 3.1% in Massachusetts, which favors Massachusetts. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Iowa's K-12 schools 15th in the country and Massachusetts's 1st, 14 places apart in Massachusetts's favor. Iowa runs a school-choice voucher program; Massachusetts does not.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Iowa went to Trump by 13 points and Massachusetts went to Harris by 28 points.
Iowa has permitless carry and a Giffords gun-law grade of F; Massachusetts has may-issue carry permits and a grade of A, so Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts, and marijuana is medical only in Iowa and legal for adults in Massachusetts as of 2026. The minimum wage is $7.25 an hour in Iowa and $15.00 in Massachusetts.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is high in Iowa (tornado, flood, blizzard) and moderate in Massachusetts (hurricane, blizzard, nor-easter), so Massachusetts is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 34 in Iowa and 30 in Massachusetts (under 50 is good), favoring Massachusetts.
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
8
Massachusetts
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Iowa or Massachusetts 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 $11,159); Iowa on everyday costs (index 88 against 148); Iowa on safety (284 violent crimes per 100,000 against 338); Massachusetts on schools (ranked 1st against 15th).
Which is cheaper, Iowa or Massachusetts?
Iowa is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 88 against 148. The median home is $215K in Iowa and $580K in Massachusetts (2024). On state and local taxes Iowa saves a median household about $3,700 a year.
Does Iowa or Massachusetts 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 $11,159 in Massachusetts ($3,729 income tax, $6,032 property tax on the median home and $1,398 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Iowa or Massachusetts?
Iowa, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 284 per 100,000 residents in Iowa and 338 in Massachusetts; property crime is 1,626 against 1,283.
Which has better schools, Iowa or Massachusetts?
Massachusetts. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Iowa 15th of 50 for K-12 and Massachusetts 1st. Iowa also offers school-choice vouchers.
Is Iowa or Massachusetts 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; Massachusetts 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 $6,032 in Massachusetts.