State comparison
Utah vs Iowa: 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).
Utah
Moderate tax burden · COL index 101
Wins 5 categories
Iowa
Moderate tax burden · COL index 88
Wins 10 categories
Taxes: Utah vs Iowa
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 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 0.44% of home value a year in Utah and 1.42% in Iowa (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $2,200 against $3,053, so Utah has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 7.19% in Utah 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: $7,128 a year in Utah, $7,440 in Iowa. Utah is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Utah's cost of living index is 101 and Iowa's is 88, where 100 is the national average; Iowa is about 15% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $500K in Utah and $215K in Iowa (Zillow, 2024), a $285K gap in Iowa's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,650 a month in Utah and $1,050 in Iowa.
Home insurance averages $900 a year in Utah and $1,700 in Iowa, so Utah is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 237 incidents per 100,000 residents in Utah and 284 in Iowa (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Utah is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 20% lower. Property crime is 2,280 per 100,000 in Utah against 1,626 in Iowa, again favoring Iowa.
Health
Life expectancy is 79.2 years in Utah and 78 in Iowa (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 1.2-year edge for Utah. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Utah's health system 31st of 50 and Iowa's 21st, so Iowa scores better on care.
9.8% of Utah 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 Utah's K-12 schools 37th in the country and Iowa's 15th, 22 places apart in Iowa's favor. Both states run school-choice voucher programs.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Utah went to Trump by 13 points and Iowa went to Trump by 13 points.
Utah 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 medical only in both as of 2026. The minimum wage is $7.25 an hour in Utah and $7.25 in Iowa.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in Utah (drought, wildfire, earthquake) and high in Iowa (tornado, flood, blizzard), so Utah is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 55 in Utah 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
Utah
10
Iowa
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Utah or Iowa 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, Utah or Iowa?
Iowa is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 88 against 101. The median home is $500K in Utah and $215K in Iowa (2024). On state and local taxes Utah saves a median household about $310 a year.
Does Utah or Iowa have lower taxes?
Utah. A household earning $74,580 pays about $7,128 a year in Utah ($3,319 income tax, $2,200 property tax on the median home and $1,609 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, Utah or Iowa?
Utah, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 237 per 100,000 residents in Utah and 284 in Iowa; property crime is 2,280 against 1,626.
Which has better schools, Utah or Iowa?
Iowa. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Utah 37th of 50 for K-12 and Iowa 15th.
Is Utah or Iowa better for retirees?
Iowa is friendlier to retirees on paper. Utah 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 $2,200 a year in Utah and $3,053 in Iowa.