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Iowa

Moderate tax burden · COL index 88

Wins 10 categories

VS

Pennsylvania

Moderate tax burden · COL index 97

Wins 3 categories

Iowa
Pennsylvania

Taxes

3.8%
Income Tax (top rate)
3.07%
1.42%/yr
Property Tax Rate
1.43%/yr
6.94%
Sales Tax (avg)
6.34%
Yes
Social Security Tax
Yes
Yes
Estate Tax
Yes
As income
Capital Gains Tax
As income

Housing & Cost of Living

88
COL Index (100=avg)
97
$215K
Median Home Price
$270K
$1,050/mo
Median Rent (2BR/mo)
$1,350/mo
$2K/yr
Home Insurance (avg/yr)
$1K/yr

Crime & Safety

284
Violent Crime / 100K
305
1,626
Property Crime / 100K
1,394

Healthcare

#21 of 50
Healthcare Quality Rank
#17 of 50
78 yrs
Life Expectancy
77.1 yrs
5.8%
Uninsured Rate
6.5%
Yes
Medicaid Expansion
Yes

Education

#15 of 50
K-12 Quality Rank
#23 of 50
Yes
School Choice / Vouchers
Yes

Childcare

$1,100/mo
Avg Infant Care / mo
$1,350/mo

Utilities & Daily Costs

$135/mo
Avg Energy Bill / mo
$150/mo
$440/mo
Avg Groceries / mo
$510/mo
#8 of 50
Road Quality Rank
#37 of 50

Social Policy

F
Gun Laws Grade
C
R+13.0
2024 Presidential Margin
R+2.0

Category wins

10

Iowa

3

Pennsylvania

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People Also Ask

Is moving to Iowa a good idea?

What is the nicest town to live in Pennsylvania?

Why is it so cheap to live in Iowa?

What part of Iowa is best to live in?

A website that showcases small to mid-sized cities has ranked three Iowa cities on its list of Top 100 Best Places to Live. Livability.com included Iowa City, Cedar Rapids and Des Moines in its newest ranking. The website's list for 2026 focused on housing and the cost of living in each city.

Full Iowa Profile →Full Pennsylvania Profile →

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