Iowa
R+13 · Moderate tax burden · COL index 88
3.8%
Income Tax
284
Violent Crime / 100K
78
Life Expectancy
$215K
Median Home
$1,100
Childcare / Mo
State Profile
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Get notified when Iowa tax laws, gun laws, or social policy changes.
Taxes
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Income Tax
Flat 3.8% as of 2025
Property Tax
~$3,053/yr on median home
Sales Tax
Social Security
Pension / IRA
Retirement income fully exempt as of 2023
Estate Tax
Inheritance tax fully phased out 2025
Inheritance Tax
Capital Gains
Housing & Cost of Living
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Cost of Living Index
National avg = 100
Median Home Price
Median Rent (2BR)
Home Insurance
Near national avg (~$1,900/yr)
Flood Insurance
Homestead Exemption
Home equity protected from creditors
Asset Protection
Crime & Safety
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Violent Crime Rate
Near national avg
Property Crime Rate
Near national avg
Traffic Fatality Rate
Healthcare
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State Healthcare Rank
Life Expectancy
Medicaid Expansion
Uninsured Rate
Well below national avg
Education
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K-12 Quality Rank
School Choice / Vouchers
Childcare
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Avg Infant Care (Full-Time)
Utilities & Daily Costs
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Avg Monthly Energy Bill
Avg Monthly Groceries
2-person household, moderate spending
Road Quality Rank
Airports & Travel
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Nonstop Destinations
From state's primary airport
Major Hub Airport
Regional airport — connections via hub
Culture & Lifestyle
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Urban Population
Mix of urban and rural
Restaurant Density
Limited dining options
Religious Congregations
Pro Sports Teams
NFL + NBA + MLB + NHL + MLS
Major Venues
Stadiums, arenas, amphitheaters (10K+ capacity)
Craft Breweries
2.8/100K residents — Solid scene
Craft Distilleries
Live Music
Iowa City college-town venues; Hinterland Festival (St. Luke's); Des Moines outdoor shows
Transportation
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Car Insurance (Avg Annual)
Traffic Fatality Rate
Broadband Access
Social & Legal
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Abortion Access
6-week ban signed 2023
LGBTQ+ Protections
Marijuana
Minimum Wage
Right to Work
Sports Betting
Casino Gambling
Online Gambling
State Lottery
19+ casinos along river corridors. Sports betting legal since 2019.
Age of Consent
Sex Education
Sex ed required by state
Nude Beaches & Naturist Clubs
Iowa Naturists (Des Moines area)
Environment & Climate
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Air Quality (Annual AQI)
Near national avg
Natural Disaster Risk
Primary Hazards
Politics & Gun Laws
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2024 Presidential Vote
Gun Laws
Carry Permit
Purchase Permit Required
Gambling
Hunting & Outdoors
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Iowa consistently produces Boone & Crockett record book whitetails. Private land hunting culture is strong — most access requires landowner permission.
Iowa Department of Natural Resources — Official Season Dates ↗Finding nearby venues...
From r/hunting
r/Hunting - Another Iowa whitetail with 77g TMK.
So there's a population management season an excess tag season that can be for any county with unsold tags by midnight Jan 11. There's peopl...
reddit.com ↗
New Resident To AZ : r/Hunting
Deer (mule and coues) have over the counter (referred to as OTC) seasons in starting August, then rifle via draw in Oct/Nov time frame, and ...
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r/Hunting - Iowa is always so good to me
Our gun seasons start the first Saturday of the first full week of December. Usually anywhere from the 6th to the 10th....
reddit.com ↗
.12 gauge or deer rifle : r/Hunting
Easiest ammo to find that will work best for elk and be legal in Iowa is the 450 bushmaster or 45-70 gov. I use 350 legend which is great fo...
reddit.com ↗
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Jobs & Economy
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Job Market
+1.1% job growth · 3% unemployment
Top Industries
Tech Jobs
Healthcare Jobs
Remote Work
Median Household Income
Business Climate
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Corporate Income Tax
LLC Formation Fee
LLC Annual Fee
Business Climate Rank
Daily Life
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Gas Price (Regular)
Below avg (-0.22 vs national avg)
Consumer Fireworks
Consumer fireworks legal statewide
Weather & Natural Risks
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Winter Severity
Avg January high: 27°F
Summer Heat
Moderate summers
Annual Rainfall
Tornado Risk
Hurricane Risk
Wildfire Risk
Flood Risk
Natural Hazards
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Venomous Snakes
Spider Hazard
Hurricane Risk
Tornado Risk
Wildfire Risk
Earthquake Risk
Danger score is a composite index. Methodology ↗
Veteran Benefits
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Veteran-Friendly Score
6.3% of state population are veterans
Property Tax Exemption
Disabled vet property tax credit
Military Retirement Pay
Active Duty Pay
VA Facilities Access
Notable Benefits
Explore Iowa counties
Income, housing, poverty, healthcare — ranked by county
See your full cost of living in Iowa
Housing, taxes, childcare, insurance — all estimated.
Compare Similar States
IA vs MI
Iowa vs Michigan
COL 88 vs 88 · 3.8% vs 4.25% income tax
Full comparison →
IA vs OH
Iowa vs Ohio
COL 88 vs 88 · 3.8% vs 3.5% income tax
Full comparison →
IA vs AL
Iowa vs Alabama
COL 88 vs 87 · 3.8% vs 5% income tax
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IA vs IN
Iowa vs Indiana
COL 88 vs 87 · 3.8% vs 3.05% income tax
Full comparison →
Trending in Iowa
Iowa Governor Primary 2026: Live Election Results - The New York Times
The New York Times · Jun 10
Governor hires private companies to manage executive branch IT services, computer networks - Radio Iowa
Radio Iowa · Jun 9
GOP nominee for governor did the unthinkable in Iowa: Attack Big Agriculture - The Washington Post
The Washington Post · Jun 8
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear rallies with Iowa governor candidate Rob Sand - Iowa Capital Dispatch
Iowa Capital Dispatch · Jun 8
Gov. Reynolds announces overhaul of Iowa's IT system and data storage - KGAN
KGAN · Jun 9
What Residents Say
Cost of Living IL v IA : r/QuadCities
IA property taxes are lower, average rates are 1.5% in IA vs 2.5% in IL. IA income tax is bracketed and will be higher than IL for most people, ......
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Moving to Iowa, Had Some Questions : r/IowaCity
I just subtract 30% to figure out my take-home because of my insurance benefits and taxes and my take-home is usually a bit higher....
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I had been of the belief that if you did not live in a state ...
UPDATE: 9/30/2024 - For anyone who may more may not be checking on this, I finally received a Notice of Cleared Billing from the Iowa IRS. I've already ......
reddit.com ↗
Is the cost of living in Iowa high? Where would I find this ...
From a statewide perspective, property taxes and vehicle tags are relatively expensive in Iowa. But you don't need to get an annual vehicle inspection....
reddit.com ↗
Moving from Virginia to Des Moines : r/desmoines
We also pay about $500 every six months in personal property taxes (for cars, etc.), and overall, the cost of living and taxes feel really high ......
reddit.com ↗
Moving to Quad Cities : r/QuadCities
FYI, Iowa's income tax will be below Illinois' (flat 4.95%) by TY2025. Comment Image....
reddit.com ↗
Moving back to Iowa?
Originally from SE Iowa. Recently laid off in Bay Area tech. We have a good life in California and the schools in our community are great. However, since ......
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Ex New Yorker new to Iowa/midwest. What are those taxes!
Property tax is high, sales tax is average-high. State Income tax brackets tops at 75k!! And is very high. And found out it's actually lower now than a couple ....
reddit.com ↗
Iowa is cheaper, but only on paper.
If you use 800 KWh in a month, Alliant's bill is $160, Mid-Am is $105.60, a $652.80/yr difference. "But property taxes". All dependent on where ......
reddit.com ↗
Living in Council Bluffs, working in Omaha - any tax or ...
Hello. I'm hoping to find out if anyone knows what sort of extra tax burden might be encountered by renting in Council Bluffs and commuting to work in ......
reddit.com ↗
Stay Current
Get notified when Iowa tax laws, gun laws, or social policy changes.
Data is informational only. Verify with a tax professional, real estate agent, and local sources before making relocation decisions. Crime data: FBI UCR ~2022. Healthcare: Commonwealth Fund / US News ~2023. Education: Education Week ~2023. Housing: Zillow / Census ACS ~2024. Insurance: rate surveys ~2024. Sponsored links marked “Sponsored” may earn a commission. This does not affect our data or rankings.