State comparison
Massachusetts vs Iowa: which state is better to live in?
Iowa costs a median household about $3,700 a year less in state and local taxes than Massachusetts, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $3,053 a year against $6,032 in Massachusetts.
Massachusetts
High tax burden · COL index 148
Wins 8 categories
Iowa
Moderate tax burden · COL index 88
Wins 8 categories
Taxes: Massachusetts vs Iowa
Massachusetts has a graduated income tax topping out at 9%, which works out to 5.0% on a median income of $74,580, or $3,729 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 1.04% of home value a year in Massachusetts and 1.42% in Iowa (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $6,032 against $3,053, so Massachusetts has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 6.25% in Massachusetts and 6.94% in Iowa; Massachusetts is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $11,159 a year in Massachusetts, $7,440 in Iowa. Iowa is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Massachusetts's cost of living index is 148 and Iowa's is 88, where 100 is the national average; Iowa is about 68% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $580K in Massachusetts and $215K in Iowa (Zillow, 2024), a $365K gap in Iowa's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $2,400 a month in Massachusetts and $1,050 in Iowa.
Home insurance averages $1,500 a year in Massachusetts and $1,700 in Iowa, so Massachusetts is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 338 incidents per 100,000 residents in Massachusetts and 284 in Iowa (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Iowa is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 19% lower. Property crime is 1,283 per 100,000 in Massachusetts against 1,626 in Iowa, again favoring Massachusetts.
Health
Life expectancy is 80 years in Massachusetts and 78 in Iowa (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 2.0-year edge for Massachusetts. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Massachusetts's health system 1st of 50 and Iowa's 21st, so Massachusetts scores better on care.
3.1% of Massachusetts residents have no health insurance against 5.8% in Iowa, which favors Massachusetts. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Massachusetts's K-12 schools 1st in the country and Iowa's 15th, 14 places apart in Massachusetts's favor. Iowa runs a school-choice voucher program; Massachusetts does not.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Massachusetts went to Harris by 28 points and Iowa went to Trump by 13 points.
Massachusetts has may-issue carry permits and a Giffords gun-law grade of A; Iowa has permitless carry and a grade of F, so Massachusetts regulates guns more tightly and Iowa is the friendlier state for gun owners.
Abortion is protected by state law in Massachusetts and banned with narrow exceptions in Iowa, and marijuana is legal for adults in Massachusetts and medical only in Iowa as of 2026. The minimum wage is $15.00 an hour in Massachusetts and $7.25 in Iowa.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in Massachusetts (hurricane, blizzard, nor-easter) and high in Iowa (tornado, flood, blizzard), so Massachusetts is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 30 in Massachusetts and 34 in Iowa (under 50 is good), favoring Massachusetts.
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
8
Massachusetts
8
Iowa
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Massachusetts 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 $11,159); Iowa on everyday costs (index 88 against 148); Iowa on safety (284 violent crimes per 100,000 against 338); Massachusetts on schools (ranked 1st against 15th).
Which is cheaper, Massachusetts or Iowa?
Iowa is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 88 against 148. The median home is $580K in Massachusetts and $215K in Iowa (2024). On state and local taxes Iowa saves a median household about $3,700 a year.
Does Massachusetts or Iowa have lower taxes?
Iowa. A household earning $74,580 pays about $11,159 a year in Massachusetts ($3,729 income tax, $6,032 property tax on the median home and $1,398 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, Massachusetts or Iowa?
Iowa, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 338 per 100,000 residents in Massachusetts and 284 in Iowa; property crime is 1,283 against 1,626.
Which has better schools, Massachusetts or Iowa?
Massachusetts. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Massachusetts 1st of 50 for K-12 and Iowa 15th. Iowa also offers school-choice vouchers.
Is Massachusetts or Iowa better for retirees?
Iowa is friendlier to retirees on paper. Massachusetts 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 $6,032 a year in Massachusetts and $3,053 in Iowa.