Are you looking for love in Iowa?
Or are you just hoping to hook up with a hot Iowan?
Either way, we’ve got you covered here.
If you live in Iowa, there’s a pretty good chance there are a lot of singles in your area. The Hawkeye State has plenty of people over 18 who aren’t married or in a serious relationship.
That’s great news for people who are single and looking to mingle.
So, where are the best cities for singles in Iowa? We used Saturday Night Science to find out.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Best Cities For Singles In Iowa For 2026
So, what was the best city for singles in Iowa? Des Moines ranks as the best place for singles in Iowa if you care about things singles care about, like nightlife, affordable housing, and other singles.
Read below to see how we crunched the numbers and how each city ranked. If you live in or are close to one of these cities and are single, you should probably get out more often.
Just saying.
For more Iowa reading, check out:
The 10 Best Cities For Singles In Iowa For 2026
/10
Population: 212,421
Median Age: 34.6
Married households: 21.0%
Households with kids: 29.2%
More on Des Moines: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 67,669
Median Age: 23.3
Married households: 13.0%
Households with kids: 15.5%
More on Ames: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 100,913
Median Age: 37.5
Married households: 22.0%
Households with kids: 24.9%
More on Davenport: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The crime rate has been on the increase. I’ve noticed more and more terrible drivers; running red lights, texting while driving, etc.
Terrible drivers, rude employees, employees that sit on their phones rather than helping out customers.
/10
Population: 11,428
Median Age: 30.9
Married households: 17.0%
Households with kids: 32.7%
More on Storm Lake: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 137,264
Median Age: 37.3
Married households: 28.0%
Households with kids: 26.7%
More on Cedar Rapids: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 59,174
Median Age: 38.1
Married households: 30.0%
Households with kids: 24.2%
More on Dubuque: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Dubuque is an all around perfect weather town. It is right on the Mississippi river and you can access 2 other states within miles of each other.
The river has so many things to do while there and the restaurants are amazing.
/10
Population: 23,234
Median Age: 34.0
Married households: 21.0%
Households with kids: 25.6%
More on Coralville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 71,083
Median Age: 36.0
Married households: 24.0%
Households with kids: 25.7%
More on West Des Moines: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 40,888
Median Age: 29.3
Married households: 30.0%
Households with kids: 21.9%
More on Cedar Falls: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 21,125
Median Age: 31.7
Married households: 26.0%
Households with kids: 33.7%
More on North Liberty: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
This city is a part of the Iowa City community. It has a wide spectrum of economics, which makes it a great place to learn about people, and gives plenty of opportunity to help others or be helped. It is a “bedroom” community with a rapidly growing population. The schools are bursting and a new elementary school is being built. A high school was just opened in 2017.
North Liberty is convenient. Biking is an option because of a great trail, and also because two grocery stores, banks, rec center, gym, post office, car repair…. are in such close proximity to much of the city.
Methodology: How do you determine which city is best for singles in Iowa anyways?
To give you the places in Iowa which are best for singles to find one another, we used Saturday Night Science to look at a handful of metrics. Of course, we want to measure the type of people who live in each city and make some assumptions about what single people like.
So we researched the internet for a database that contains all that information.
We threw a lot of criteria at this one to get the best, most complete results possible. Using the 2020-2024 American Community Survey Census data produced for the state of Iowa, we looked at every single city in the state. We paid particular attention to:
- Population density
- % of population that’s male vs. female (closer to a 50-50 ratio is better)
- % of households with kids
- Median age
- Number of unmarried people in each city
We then gave each city a “Singles Score.”
The higher the score, the better the city is for singles to find one another. We also limited our results to cities with over 10,000 people. For Iowa, that meant a total of 39 cities.
We updated this article for 2026. This is our eleventh time ranking the best cities for singles in Iowa.
Read on to see why Des Moines is the talk of the town while Norwalk is probably a bit on the bland side.
Summary: The Best Cities for Singles in Iowa for 2026
If you’re looking for a breakdown of cities in Iowa ranked by criteria that most agree make a place a great spot for finding a single person (and potentially love), this is an accurate list.
The best cities for singles in Iowa are Des Moines, Ames, Davenport, Storm Lake, Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Coralville, West Des Moines, Cedar Falls, and North Liberty.
Here’s a look at the most boring cities in Iowa according to the data:
- Norwalk
- Pleasant Hill
- Grimes
For more Iowa reading, check out:
Best Cities For Singles In Iowa
| Rank | City | Population | Median Age | % Married Households | % Households /w Kids |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Des Moines, IA | 212,421 | 34.6 | 21.0% | 29.2% |
| 2 | Ames, IA | 67,669 | 23.3 | 13.0% | 15.5% |
| 3 | Davenport, IA | 100,913 | 37.5 | 22.0% | 24.9% |
| 4 | Storm Lake, IA | 11,428 | 30.9 | 17.0% | 32.7% |
| 5 | Cedar Rapids, IA | 137,264 | 37.3 | 28.0% | 26.7% |
| 6 | Dubuque, IA | 59,174 | 38.1 | 30.0% | 24.2% |
| 7 | Coralville, IA | 23,234 | 34.0 | 21.0% | 25.6% |
| 8 | West Des Moines, IA | 71,083 | 36.0 | 24.0% | 25.7% |
| 9 | Cedar Falls, IA | 40,888 | 29.3 | 30.0% | 21.9% |
| 10 | North Liberty, IA | 21,125 | 31.7 | 26.0% | 33.7% |
| 11 | Marshalltown, IA | 27,626 | 35.7 | 22.0% | 33.4% |
| 12 | Fort Dodge, IA | 24,827 | 37.6 | 24.0% | 23.0% |
| 13 | Ottumwa, IA | 25,430 | 36.7 | 26.0% | 35.0% |
| 14 | Muscatine, IA | 23,489 | 37.0 | 23.0% | 34.2% |
| 15 | Waterloo, IA | 67,008 | 36.7 | 26.0% | 26.2% |
| 16 | Council Bluffs, IA | 62,586 | 38.7 | 22.0% | 27.7% |
| 17 | Oskaloosa, IA | 11,504 | 37.6 | 32.0% | 28.9% |
| 18 | Ankeny, IA | 72,615 | 33.6 | 36.0% | 37.1% |
| 19 | Clive, IA | 19,012 | 37.4 | 32.0% | 37.7% |
| 20 | Waukee, IA | 29,236 | 34.7 | 30.0% | 38.2% |
| 21 | Burlington, IA | 23,728 | 42.5 | 31.0% | 26.5% |
| 22 | Pella, IA | 10,720 | 35.2 | 36.0% | 24.8% |
| 23 | Newton, IA | 15,700 | 42.6 | 33.0% | 23.1% |
| 24 | Carroll, IA | 10,208 | 43.6 | 36.0% | 21.2% |
| 25 | Urbandale, IA | 46,595 | 39.2 | 37.0% | 34.7% |
| 26 | Bettendorf, IA | 39,647 | 40.9 | 25.0% | 35.2% |
| 27 | Clinton, IA | 24,322 | 44.0 | 28.0% | 24.0% |
| 28 | Indianola, IA | 16,044 | 35.9 | 32.0% | 30.6% |
| 29 | Spencer, IA | 11,400 | 41.4 | 31.0% | 22.3% |
| 30 | Waverly, IA | 10,494 | 32.8 | 34.0% | 29.2% |
| 31 | Boone, IA | 12,424 | 41.3 | 37.0% | 29.1% |
| 32 | Fort Madison, IA | 10,133 | 42.1 | 26.0% | 26.8% |
| 33 | Altoona, IA | 21,495 | 36.1 | 34.0% | 33.9% |
| 34 | Le Mars, IA | 10,640 | 39.0 | 36.0% | 31.6% |
| 35 | Marion, IA | 41,896 | 40.6 | 42.0% | 34.0% |
| 36 | Johnston, IA | 24,384 | 37.4 | 34.0% | 38.2% |
| 37 | Grimes, IA | 16,366 | 35.4 | 34.0% | 38.5% |
| 38 | Pleasant Hill, IA | 11,136 | 39.5 | 37.0% | 33.8% |
| 39 | Norwalk, IA | 14,183 | 37.8 | 42.0% | 38.3% |