Iowa vs New Mexico

Iowa

Moderate tax burden · COL index 88

Wins 10 categories

New Mexico

Moderate tax burden · COL index 91

Wins 3 categories

New Mexico's top income tax rate is 5.9% vs Iowa's 3.8%. Property taxes are meaningfully different: Iowa averages 1.42% annually vs New Mexico's 0.55%. The median home in New Mexico costs $330K vs $215K in Iowa. Politically, Iowa voted Republican in 2024 (R+13.0) while New Mexico went Democratic (D+10.0).

Iowa

New Mexico

Taxes

3.8%

Income Tax (top rate)

5.9%

1.42%/yr

Property Tax Rate

0.55%/yr

6.94%

Sales Tax (avg)

7.82%

Yes

Social Security Tax

Yes

Estate Tax

Yes

As income

Capital Gains Tax

As income

Housing & Cost of Living

COL Index (100=avg)

$215K

Median Home Price

$330K

$1,050/mo

Median Rent (2BR/mo)

$1,250/mo

$2K/yr

Home Insurance (avg/yr)

$2K/yr

Crime & Safety

284

Violent Crime / 100K

778

1,626

Property Crime / 100K

3,286

Healthcare

#21 of 50

Healthcare Quality Rank

#49 of 50

78 yrs

Life Expectancy

74.1 yrs

5.8%

Uninsured Rate

9.2%

Yes

Medicaid Expansion

Yes

Education

#15 of 50

K-12 Quality Rank

#46 of 50

Yes

School Choice / Vouchers

Childcare

$1,100/mo

Avg Infant Care / mo

$950/mo

Utilities & Daily Costs

$135/mo

Avg Energy Bill / mo

$115/mo

$440/mo

Avg Groceries / mo

$460/mo

#8 of 50

Road Quality Rank

#29 of 50

Social Policy

Gun Laws Grade

B-

R+13.0

2024 Presidential Margin

D+10.0

Category wins

Iowa

New Mexico

Run the full slider tool to score these states against your specific income, home value, retirement, and lifestyle priorities.

Score For My Profile →