State comparison
Missouri vs Iowa: which state is better to live in?
Missouri and Iowa cost a median household almost the same in state and local taxes, $7,300 a year against $7,440, so the choice comes down to housing, safety and schools.
Missouri
Moderate tax burden · COL index 86
Wins 4 categories
Iowa
Moderate tax burden · COL index 88
Wins 11 categories
Taxes: Missouri vs Iowa
Missouri has a graduated income tax topping out at 4.7%, which works out to 4.5% on a median income of $74,580, or $3,325 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 0.88% of home value a year in Missouri and 1.42% in Iowa (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $2,112 against $3,053, so Missouri has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 8.33% in Missouri and 6.94% in Iowa; Iowa is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $7,300 a year in Missouri, $7,440 in Iowa. Missouri is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Missouri's cost of living index is 86 and Iowa's is 88, where 100 is the national average; Missouri is about 2% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $240K in Missouri and $215K in Iowa (Zillow, 2024), a $25K gap in Iowa's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,100 a month in Missouri and $1,050 in Iowa.
Home insurance averages $2,200 a year in Missouri and $1,700 in Iowa, so Iowa is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 581 incidents per 100,000 residents in Missouri and 284 in Iowa (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Iowa is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 105% lower. Property crime is 2,695 per 100,000 in Missouri against 1,626 in Iowa, again favoring Iowa.
Health
Life expectancy is 75.3 years in Missouri and 78 in Iowa (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 2.7-year edge for Iowa. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Missouri's health system 43rd of 50 and Iowa's 21st, so Iowa scores better on care.
8.2% of Missouri 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 Missouri's K-12 schools 33rd in the country and Iowa's 15th, 18 places apart in Iowa's favor. Iowa runs a school-choice voucher program; Missouri does not.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Missouri went to Trump by 19 points and Iowa went to Trump by 13 points.
Missouri has permitless carry and a Giffords gun-law grade of F; Iowa has permitless carry and a grade of F.
Abortion is banned with narrow exceptions in both states, and marijuana is legal for adults in Missouri and medical only in Iowa as of 2026. The minimum wage is $12.30 an hour in Missouri and $7.25 in Iowa.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is high in Missouri (tornado, flood, ice-storm) and high in Iowa (tornado, flood, blizzard). Annual average air quality index is 38 in Missouri 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
4
Missouri
11
Iowa
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 Missouri or Iowa better to live in?
It depends on what you weigh most. Missouri on taxes ($7,300 a year for a median household against $7,440); Missouri on everyday costs (index 86 against 88); Iowa on safety (284 violent crimes per 100,000 against 581); Iowa on schools (ranked 15th against 33rd).
Which is cheaper, Missouri or Iowa?
Missouri is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 86 against 88. The median home is $240K in Missouri and $215K in Iowa (2024). On state and local taxes Missouri saves a median household about $140 a year.
Does Missouri or Iowa have lower taxes?
Missouri. A household earning $74,580 pays about $7,300 a year in Missouri ($3,325 income tax, $2,112 property tax on the median home and $1,864 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, Missouri or Iowa?
Iowa, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 581 per 100,000 residents in Missouri and 284 in Iowa; property crime is 2,695 against 1,626.
Which has better schools, Missouri or Iowa?
Iowa. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Missouri 33rd of 50 for K-12 and Iowa 15th. Iowa also offers school-choice vouchers.
Is Missouri or Iowa better for retirees?
Iowa is friendlier to retirees on paper. Missouri taxes Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax; Iowa does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax. Property tax on a median home is $2,112 a year in Missouri and $3,053 in Iowa.