State comparison
Iowa vs Missouri: which state is better to live in?
Iowa and Missouri cost a median household almost the same in state and local taxes, $7,440 a year against $7,300, so the choice comes down to housing, safety and schools.
Iowa
Moderate tax burden · COL index 88
Wins 11 categories
Missouri
Moderate tax burden · COL index 86
Wins 4 categories
Taxes: Iowa vs Missouri
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. Missouri has a graduated income tax topping out at 4.7%, which works out to 4.5% on a median income of $74,580, or $3,325 a year. Iowa wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 1.42% of home value a year in Iowa and 0.88% in Missouri (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $3,053 against $2,112, so Missouri has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 6.94% in Iowa and 8.33% in Missouri; Iowa 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, $7,300 in Missouri. Missouri is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Iowa's cost of living index is 88 and Missouri's is 86, where 100 is the national average; Missouri is about 2% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $215K in Iowa and $240K in Missouri (Zillow, 2024), a $25K gap in Iowa's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,050 a month in Iowa and $1,100 in Missouri.
Home insurance averages $1,700 a year in Iowa and $2,200 in Missouri, so Iowa is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 284 incidents per 100,000 residents in Iowa and 581 in Missouri (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Iowa is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 105% lower. Property crime is 1,626 per 100,000 in Iowa against 2,695 in Missouri, again favoring Iowa.
Health
Life expectancy is 78 years in Iowa and 75.3 in Missouri (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 2.7-year edge for Iowa. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Iowa's health system 21st of 50 and Missouri's 43rd, so Iowa scores better on care.
5.8% of Iowa residents have no health insurance against 8.2% in Missouri, 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 Missouri's 33rd, 18 places apart in Iowa's favor. Iowa runs a school-choice voucher program; Missouri does not.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Iowa went to Trump by 13 points and Missouri went to Trump by 19 points.
Iowa has permitless carry and a Giffords gun-law grade of F; Missouri 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 legal for adults in Missouri as of 2026. The minimum wage is $7.25 an hour in Iowa and $12.30 in Missouri.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is high in Iowa (tornado, flood, blizzard) and high in Missouri (tornado, flood, ice-storm). Annual average air quality index is 34 in Iowa and 38 in Missouri (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
11
Iowa
4
Missouri
Run the full slider tool to score these states against your specific income, home value, retirement, and lifestyle priorities.
Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Iowa or Missouri better to live in?
It depends on what you weigh most. Missouri on taxes ($7,300 a year for a median household against $7,440); Missouri on everyday costs (index 86 against 88); Iowa on safety (284 violent crimes per 100,000 against 581); Iowa on schools (ranked 15th against 33rd).
Which is cheaper, Iowa or Missouri?
Missouri is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 86 against 88. The median home is $215K in Iowa and $240K in Missouri (2024). On state and local taxes Missouri saves a median household about $140 a year.
Does Iowa or Missouri have lower taxes?
Missouri. 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 $7,300 in Missouri ($3,325 income tax, $2,112 property tax on the median home and $1,864 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Iowa or Missouri?
Iowa, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 284 per 100,000 residents in Iowa and 581 in Missouri; property crime is 1,626 against 2,695.
Which has better schools, Iowa or Missouri?
Iowa. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Iowa 15th of 50 for K-12 and Missouri 33rd. Iowa also offers school-choice vouchers.
Is Iowa or Missouri 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; Missouri taxes 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 $2,112 in Missouri.