State comparison
Maryland vs Iowa: which state is better to live in?
Iowa costs a median household about $1,500 a year less in state and local taxes than Maryland, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $3,053 a year against $4,074 in Maryland.
Maryland
High tax burden · COL index 116
Wins 5 categories
Iowa
Moderate tax burden · COL index 88
Wins 10 categories
Taxes: Maryland vs Iowa
Maryland has a graduated income tax topping out at 5.75%, which works out to 4.7% on a median income of $74,580, or $3,490 a year. 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. Iowa wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.97% of home value a year in Maryland and 1.42% in Iowa (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $4,074 against $3,053, so Maryland has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 6.00% in Maryland and 6.94% in Iowa; Maryland is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $8,906 a year in Maryland, $7,440 in Iowa. Iowa is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Maryland's cost of living index is 116 and Iowa's is 88, where 100 is the national average; Iowa is about 32% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $420K in Maryland and $215K in Iowa (Zillow, 2024), a $205K gap in Iowa's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,950 a month in Maryland and $1,050 in Iowa.
Home insurance averages $1,600 a year in Maryland and $1,700 in Iowa, so Maryland is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 468 incidents per 100,000 residents in Maryland and 284 in Iowa (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Iowa is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 65% lower. Property crime is 1,734 per 100,000 in Maryland against 1,626 in Iowa, again favoring Iowa.
Health
Life expectancy is 77.4 years in Maryland and 78 in Iowa (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 0.6-year edge for Iowa. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Maryland's health system 12th of 50 and Iowa's 21st, so Maryland scores better on care.
6.5% of Maryland residents have no health insurance against 5.8% in Iowa, which favors Iowa. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Maryland's K-12 schools 4th in the country and Iowa's 15th, 11 places apart in Maryland's favor. Iowa runs a school-choice voucher program; Maryland does not.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Maryland went to Harris by 24 points and Iowa went to Trump by 13 points.
Maryland has may-issue carry permits and a Giffords gun-law grade of A; Iowa has permitless carry and a grade of F, so Maryland regulates guns more tightly and Iowa is the friendlier state for gun owners.
Abortion is protected by state law in Maryland and banned with narrow exceptions in Iowa, and marijuana is legal for adults in Maryland and medical only in Iowa as of 2026. The minimum wage is $15.00 an hour in Maryland and $7.25 in Iowa.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in Maryland (hurricane, flood) and high in Iowa (tornado, flood, blizzard), so Maryland is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 40 in Maryland and 34 in Iowa (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
5
Maryland
10
Iowa
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Maryland or Iowa better to live in?
Iowa wins more of the measures that decide a move. Iowa on taxes ($7,440 a year for a median household against $8,906); Iowa on everyday costs (index 88 against 116); Iowa on safety (284 violent crimes per 100,000 against 468); Maryland on schools (ranked 4th against 15th).
Which is cheaper, Maryland or Iowa?
Iowa is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 88 against 116. The median home is $420K in Maryland and $215K in Iowa (2024). On state and local taxes Iowa saves a median household about $1,500 a year.
Does Maryland or Iowa have lower taxes?
Iowa. A household earning $74,580 pays about $8,906 a year in Maryland ($3,490 income tax, $4,074 property tax on the median home and $1,342 in sales tax) and $7,440 in Iowa ($2,834 income tax, $3,053 property tax on the median home and $1,553 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Maryland or Iowa?
Iowa, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 468 per 100,000 residents in Maryland and 284 in Iowa; property crime is 1,734 against 1,626.
Which has better schools, Maryland or Iowa?
Maryland. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Maryland 4th of 50 for K-12 and Iowa 15th. Iowa also offers school-choice vouchers.
Is Maryland or Iowa better for retirees?
Iowa is friendlier to retirees on paper. Maryland does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has an estate tax; Iowa does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax. Property tax on a median home is $4,074 a year in Maryland and $3,053 in Iowa.