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Iowa

Moderate tax burden · COL index 88

Wins 10 categories

VS

Montana

Low tax burden · COL index 104

Wins 3 categories

Montana's top income tax rate is 5.9% vs Iowa's 3.8%. Cost of living in Montana (index 104) runs 18% higher than Iowa (index 88). Property taxes are meaningfully different: Iowa averages 1.42% annually vs Montana's 0.58%. The median home in Montana costs $450K vs $215K in Iowa.

Iowa
Montana

Taxes

3.8%
Income Tax (top rate)
5.9%
1.42%/yr
Property Tax Rate
0.58%/yr
6.94%
Sales Tax (avg)
None
Yes
Social Security Tax
No
Yes
Estate Tax
Yes
As income
Capital Gains Tax
4.1%

Housing & Cost of Living

88
COL Index (100=avg)
104
$215K
Median Home Price
$450K
$1,050/mo
Median Rent (2BR/mo)
$1,450/mo
$2K/yr
Home Insurance (avg/yr)
$2K/yr

Crime & Safety

284
Violent Crime / 100K
398
1,626
Property Crime / 100K
2,298

Healthcare

#21 of 50
Healthcare Quality Rank
#30 of 50
78 yrs
Life Expectancy
76.5 yrs
5.8%
Uninsured Rate
9.2%
Yes
Medicaid Expansion
Yes

Education

#15 of 50
K-12 Quality Rank
#22 of 50
Yes
School Choice / Vouchers
No

Childcare

$1,100/mo
Avg Infant Care / mo
$1,150/mo

Utilities & Daily Costs

$135/mo
Avg Energy Bill / mo
$115/mo
$440/mo
Avg Groceries / mo
$510/mo
#8 of 50
Road Quality Rank
#16 of 50

Social Policy

F
Gun Laws Grade
F
R+13.0
2024 Presidential Margin
R+13.0

Category wins

10

Iowa

3

Montana

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Your Priorities

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Annual Income

$150K

Affects effective income tax rate

$0$500K$5M+

Retirement Savings

$0

Affects pension and SS tax burden

None$500K$10M+

Social Security

None

Annual Social Security benefit

None$150K/yr

My Property Is Worth

$400K

Affects property tax burden

Tax burden ↓$1M$50M+

Home Buying Budget

$400K

Compared to state median home price

Hard to find$250K$5M+

Monthly Rent Budget

Don't care

Compared to state median 2BR rent

Don't care$10K/mo

Job Market

Don't care

State unemployment and job growth

Don't careHot market

Airport Access

Don't care

Direct flight destinations from state hubs

Don't careMust have hub

City vs Country

Mid-size city

% urban population

Deep countryBig city

Sunshine

Don't care

Annual sunny days per state

Don't careMax sunshine

Food Scene

Don't care

Restaurants per 100K residents

Don't careWorld-class

Political Preference

Neutral

State's political lean

LiberalConservative

Gun Laws

Neutral

State gun law grade (Giffords)

Gun Control2A Freedom

Abortion Access

Neutral

State abortion access policy

Pro-ChoiceNeutralPro-Life

Community

None

Congregations per 100K residents

AvoidDon't careSeek

Sports & Entertainment

Don't care

Pro sports teams and major venues

Don't careMust have pro teams

Cannabis Laws

Neutral

State cannabis legality

Prefer LegalNeutralPrefer Prohibition

Retiree Community

Neutral

% population 65+ (Census)

Young areaRetirement-heavy

Dating Market

Neutral

% adults never-married (Census)

Singles sceneFamily community

Safety / Low Crime

Don't care

Violent crime rate per 100K (FBI)

Don't careVery safe

School Quality

Don't care

K-12 rank (Education Week)

Don't careTop-ranked

Healthcare Access

Don't care

Healthcare system rank (Commonwealth Fund)

Don't careTop-ranked

Childcare Affordability

Don't care

Cost of living proxy for childcare affordability

Don't careMust be affordable