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Iowa

R+13  ·  Moderate tax burden  ·  COL index 88

B

3.8%

Income Tax

284

Violent Crime / 100K

78

Life Expectancy

$215K

Median Home

$1,100

Childcare / Mo

State Profile

70/100
255075100TAXES63SAFETY74HEALTH59SCHOOLS71AFFORDABLE86LONGEVITY67

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Taxes

Income Tax

Flat 3.8% as of 2025

3.8% flat

Property Tax

~$3,053/yr on median home

1.42% / yr

Sales Tax

6.94% avg

Social Security

Exempt

Pension / IRA

Retirement income fully exempt as of 2023

Fully Exempt

Estate Tax

Inheritance tax fully phased out 2025

None

Inheritance Tax

None

Capital Gains

Taxed as income

Housing & Cost of Living

Cost of Living Index

National avg = 100

88

Median Home Price

$215,000

Median Rent (2BR)

$1,050/mo

Home Insurance

Near national avg (~$1,900/yr)

$1,700/yr

Flood Insurance

$700/yr

Homestead Exemption

Home equity protected from creditors

Unlimited

Asset Protection

Strong

Crime & Safety

Violent Crime Rate

Near national avg

284 / 100K

Property Crime Rate

Near national avg

1,626 / 100K

Traffic Fatality Rate

11 / 100K

Healthcare

State Healthcare Rank

#21 of 50

Life Expectancy

78 yrs

Medicaid Expansion

Expanded

Uninsured Rate

Well below national avg

5.8%

Education

K-12 Quality Rank

#15 of 50

School Choice / Vouchers

Available

Childcare

Avg Infant Care (Full-Time)

$1,100/mo

Utilities & Daily Costs

Avg Monthly Energy Bill

$135/mo

Avg Monthly Groceries

2-person household, moderate spending

$440/mo

Road Quality Rank

#8 of 50

Airports & Travel

Nonstop Destinations

From state's primary airport

40+ routes

Major Hub Airport

Regional airport — connections via hub

No

Culture & Lifestyle

Urban Population

Mix of urban and rural

64% urban

Restaurant Density

Limited dining options

380/100K

Religious Congregations

225/100K

Pro Sports Teams

NFL + NBA + MLB + NHL + MLS

None

Major Venues

Stadiums, arenas, amphitheaters (10K+ capacity)

3 venues

Craft Breweries

2.8/100K residents — Solid scene

90 breweries

Craft Distilleries

35 distilleries

Live Music

Iowa City college-town venues; Hinterland Festival (St. Luke's); Des Moines outdoor shows

Decent

Transportation

Car Insurance (Avg Annual)

$1,150

Traffic Fatality Rate

11 / 100K

Broadband Access

83% of households

Social & Legal

Abortion Access

6-week ban signed 2023

Banned

LGBTQ+ Protections

Limited

Marijuana

Medical Only

Minimum Wage

$7.25/hr

Right to Work

Yes

Sports Betting

Legal

Casino Gambling

Commercial casinos

Online Gambling

Illegal

State Lottery

19+ casinos along river corridors. Sports betting legal since 2019.

Yes

Age of Consent

16

Sex Education

Sex ed required by state

Abstinence-plus

Nude Beaches & Naturist Clubs

Iowa Naturists (Des Moines area)

Clubs only

Environment & Climate

Air Quality (Annual AQI)

Near national avg

34

Natural Disaster Risk

High

Primary Hazards

tornadofloodblizzard

Politics & Gun Laws

2024 Presidential Vote

R+13

Gun Laws

Gun ControlF
2A LibertyA+

Carry Permit

No permit required

Purchase Permit Required

No

Gambling

Legal

Hunting & Outdoors

Public Land2% of state
Resident Deer License$28
Deer Archery SeasonOct 1 – Dec 1
CrossbowFull season

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...

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Jobs & Economy

Job Market

+1.1% job growth · 3% unemployment

Moderate

Top Industries

AgricultureManufacturingFinance

Tech Jobs

#35 of 50

Healthcare Jobs

#20 of 50

Remote Work

15% of workers

Median Household Income

$72,429

Business Climate

Corporate Income Tax

5.5%

LLC Formation Fee

$50 one-time

LLC Annual Fee

$60/yr

Business Climate Rank

#41 of 50

Daily Life

Gas Price (Regular)

Below avg (-0.22 vs national avg)

$3.08/gal

Consumer Fireworks

Consumer fireworks legal statewide

Legal

Weather & Natural Risks

Winter Severity

Avg January high: 27°F

Cold

Summer Heat

Moderate summers

85°F avg July

Annual Rainfall

35" / yr

Tornado Risk

Moderate

Hurricane Risk

Very Low

Wildfire Risk

Very Low

Flood Risk

Moderate

Natural Hazards

27LOW danger
Tornado alleyMajor flood risk (Iowa River system)Blizzard + polar vortex winters

Venomous Snakes

Low

Spider Hazard

Low

Hurricane Risk

Minimal

Tornado Risk

High

Wildfire Risk

Low

Earthquake Risk

Low

Danger score is a composite index. Methodology ↗

Veteran Benefits

Veteran-Friendly Score

6.3% of state population are veterans

74/100

Property Tax Exemption

Disabled vet property tax credit

Partial

Military Retirement Pay

Tax Exempt

Active Duty Pay

Tax Exempt

VA Facilities Access

Adequate

Notable Benefits

Military retirement fully exempt since 2014

Explore Iowa counties

Income, housing, poverty, healthcare — ranked by county

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Housing, taxes, childcare, insurance — all estimated.

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COL 88 vs 88 · 3.8% vs 3.5% income tax

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IA vs AL

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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, ......

reddit.com ↗

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....

reddit.com ↗

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 ......

reddit.com ↗

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.

Your Priorities

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Quick Profiles

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Annual Income

$150K

Affects effective income tax rate

$0$500K$5M+

Retirement Savings

$0

Affects pension and SS tax burden

None$500K$10M+

Social Security

None

Annual Social Security benefit

None$150K/yr

My Property Is Worth

$400K

Affects property tax burden

Tax burden ↓$1M$50M+

Home Buying Budget

$400K

Compared to state median home price

Hard to find$250K$5M+

Monthly Rent Budget

Don't care

Compared to state median 2BR rent

Don't care$10K/mo

Job Market

Don't care

State unemployment and job growth

Don't careHot market

Airport Access

Don't care

Direct flight destinations from state hubs

Don't careMust have hub

City vs Country

Mid-size city

% urban population

Deep countryBig city

Sunshine

Don't care

Annual sunny days per state

Don't careMax sunshine

Food Scene

Don't care

Restaurants per 100K residents

Don't careWorld-class

Political Preference

Neutral

State's political lean

LiberalConservative

Gun Laws

Neutral

State gun law grade (Giffords)

Gun Control2A Freedom

Abortion Access

Neutral

State abortion access policy

Pro-ChoiceNeutralPro-Life

Community

None

Congregations per 100K residents

AvoidDon't careSeek

Sports & Entertainment

Don't care

Pro sports teams and major venues

Don't careMust have pro teams

Cannabis Laws

Neutral

State cannabis legality

Prefer LegalNeutralPrefer Prohibition

Retiree Community

Neutral

% population 65+ (Census)

Young areaRetirement-heavy

Dating Market

Neutral

% adults never-married (Census)

Singles sceneFamily community

Safety / Low Crime

Don't care

Violent crime rate per 100K (FBI)

Don't careVery safe

School Quality

Don't care

K-12 rank (Education Week)

Don't careTop-ranked

Healthcare Access

Don't care

Healthcare system rank (Commonwealth Fund)

Don't careTop-ranked

Childcare Affordability

Don't care

Cost of living proxy for childcare affordability

Don't careMust be affordable