Best places to live in Iowa (2026)

All 11 ranked places in Iowa, by all-round score. 3 other places without FBI crime data are on the places list.

Ranked by an all-round score: the average of all 14 quality scores (housing costs, taxes, jobs, healthcare, education, family life, safety, natural disasters, climate and more), weighted equally. Places missing from the FBI crime table are left out, since their safety is unknown. Scores are out of 100.

1. 1Urbandale, IASuburb · 3-bed $309k · very safe63
2. 2Marion, IASmall city · 3-bed $265k · very safe55
3. 3Council Bluffs, IASuburb · 3-bed $241k · higher crime54
4. 4Iowa City, IACollege town · 3-bed $293k · very safe52
5. 5Cedar Rapids, IAMid-size city · 3-bed $217k · safe52
6. 6Ames, IACollege town · 3-bed $293k · very safe51
7. 7Des Moines, IAMid-size city · 3-bed $225k · higher crime50
8. 8Dubuque, IASmall city · 3-bed $249k · very safe49
9. 9Waterloo, IASmall city · 3-bed $171k · safe49
10. 10Davenport, IAMid-size city · 3-bed $198k · moderate crime48
11. 11Sioux City, IASmall city · 3-bed $218k · moderate crime43

Cheapest places to live in Iowa

Ranked by the typical value of a 3-bedroom home (Zillow), lowest first.

1. 1Waterloo, IASmall city · rent $1,360/mo · cost of living 87$171k
2. 2Davenport, IAMid-size city · rent $1,500/mo · cost of living 89$198k
3. 3Cedar Rapids, IAMid-size city · rent $1,490/mo · cost of living 89$217k
4. 4Sioux City, IASmall city · rent $1,390/mo · cost of living 86$218k
5. 5Des Moines, IAMid-size city · rent $1,790/mo · cost of living 92$225k

Safest places to live in Iowa

Ranked by violent crimes per resident in FBI 2019 data, lowest first. Places missing from the FBI table are left out.

1. 1Urbandale, IASuburb · violent crime 0.2× the US rate63 per 100k
2. 2Marion, IASmall city · violent crime 0.4× the US rate167 per 100k
3. 3Dubuque, IASmall city · violent crime 0.5× the US rate190 per 100k
4. 4Ames, IACollege town · violent crime 0.5× the US rate198 per 100k
5. 5Iowa City, IACollege town · violent crime 0.6× the US rate216 per 100k

Safest places from natural disasters in Iowa

Ranked by our natural disaster score: FEMA's expected deaths, injuries and home damage from 18 hazards, plus federally declared disasters in the county since 2000.

1. 1Waterloo, IA7 declared disasters since 2000 · mainly flooding, tornadoes82
2. 2Cedar Falls, IA7 declared disasters since 2000 · mainly flooding, tornadoes81
3. 3Des Moines, IA10 declared disasters since 2000 · mainly flooding, tornadoes76
4. 4Ankeny, IA10 declared disasters since 2000 · mainly flooding, tornadoes75
5. 5Cedar Rapids, IA9 declared disasters since 2000 · mainly flooding, tornadoes75

Best places to live for families in Iowa

Ranked by a family score: the average of our Kids & family, Safety, Education and Affordable housing scores. Places missing from the FBI crime table are left out.

1. 1Urbandale, IASuburb · kids excellent · safety excellent · 3-bed $309k82
2. 2Marion, IASmall city · kids good · safety excellent · 3-bed $265k77
3. 3Cedar Rapids, IAMid-size city · kids average · safety good · 3-bed $217k66
4. 4Ames, IACollege town · kids poor · safety excellent · 3-bed $293k64
5. 5Dubuque, IASmall city · kids average · safety excellent · 3-bed $249k63

Best places to live · Cheapest places to live · Safest places to live · Safest places from natural disasters · Best places to live for families

Data: US Census, Zillow, HUD, BEA, FBI 2019, FEMA, NOAA, NASA, CMS, NCES and others. How scores work.