State comparison
Iowa vs Utah: which state is better to live in?
Utah costs a median household about $310 a year less in state and local taxes than Iowa, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $2,200 a year against $3,053 in Iowa, though everyday prices run higher there (cost of living index 101 against 88).
Iowa
Moderate tax burden · COL index 88
Wins 10 categories
Utah
Moderate tax burden · COL index 101
Wins 5 categories
Taxes: Iowa vs Utah
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. Utah has a flat 4.65% income tax, which works out to 4.5% on a median income of $74,580, or $3,319 a year. Iowa wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 1.42% of home value a year in Iowa and 0.44% in Utah (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $3,053 against $2,200, so Utah has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 6.94% in Iowa and 7.19% in Utah; 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, $7,128 in Utah. Utah is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Iowa's cost of living index is 88 and Utah's is 101, where 100 is the national average; Iowa is about 15% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $215K in Iowa and $500K in Utah (Zillow, 2024), a $285K gap in Iowa's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,050 a month in Iowa and $1,650 in Utah.
Home insurance averages $1,700 a year in Iowa and $900 in Utah, so Utah is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 284 incidents per 100,000 residents in Iowa and 237 in Utah (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Utah is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 20% lower. Property crime is 1,626 per 100,000 in Iowa against 2,280 in Utah, again favoring Iowa.
Health
Life expectancy is 78 years in Iowa and 79.2 in Utah (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 1.2-year edge for Utah. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Iowa's health system 21st of 50 and Utah's 31st, so Iowa scores better on care.
5.8% of Iowa residents have no health insurance against 9.8% in Utah, 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 Utah's 37th, 22 places apart in Iowa's favor. Both states run school-choice voucher programs.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Iowa went to Trump by 13 points and Utah went to Trump by 13 points.
Iowa has permitless carry and a Giffords gun-law grade of F; Utah has permitless carry and a grade of F.
Abortion is banned with narrow exceptions in both states, and marijuana is medical only in both as of 2026. The minimum wage is $7.25 an hour in Iowa and $7.25 in Utah.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is high in Iowa (tornado, flood, blizzard) and moderate in Utah (drought, wildfire, earthquake), so Utah is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 34 in Iowa and 55 in Utah (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
10
Iowa
5
Utah
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 Utah better to live in?
It depends on what you weigh most. Utah on taxes ($7,128 a year for a median household against $7,440); Iowa on everyday costs (index 88 against 101); Utah on safety (237 violent crimes per 100,000 against 284); Iowa on schools (ranked 15th against 37th).
Which is cheaper, Iowa or Utah?
Iowa is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 88 against 101. The median home is $215K in Iowa and $500K in Utah (2024). On state and local taxes Utah saves a median household about $310 a year.
Does Iowa or Utah have lower taxes?
Utah. 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 $7,128 in Utah ($3,319 income tax, $2,200 property tax on the median home and $1,609 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Iowa or Utah?
Utah, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 284 per 100,000 residents in Iowa and 237 in Utah; property crime is 1,626 against 2,280.
Which has better schools, Iowa or Utah?
Iowa. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Iowa 15th of 50 for K-12 and Utah 37th.
Is Iowa or Utah 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; Utah 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 $2,200 in Utah.