Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment, is Iowa a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best counties to live in Iowa.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Hawkeye State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been using Saturday Night Science to rank places for years.
The question becomes if you wanted to relocate to the best part of Iowa, where would you go? To answer that, we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 99 counties in the state.
Mills County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Iowa. And you should avoid Appanoose County if you can — at least according to the data.
$90,753 median income · 2.0% unemployment
$83,531 median income · 1.5% unemployment
$94,588 median income · 3.4% unemployment
$102,379 median income · 2.3% unemployment
$87,205 median income · 2.0% unemployment
$75,432 median income · 3.0% unemployment
$86,962 median income · 2.0% unemployment
$78,680 median income · 2.2% unemployment
$79,066 median income · 2.3% unemployment
$80,602 median income · 2.3% unemployment
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Iowa’s statewide median.
Iowa statewide median: $75,059
Iowa statewide median: $231,585
Iowa statewide median: 3.6%
On the map
Where Iowa’s best counties are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How do you determine which Iowa county is the best?
To give you the best county in Iowa, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we made assumptions about what’s in a “best county” and what isn’t. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best data sources on the internet. Namely, the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in Iowa across each of the criteria from one to 99, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In Iowa.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and best counties to raise a family in the Hawkeye State.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best counties to live in Iowa.
Read on to see why Mills County is the best county, while Appanoose County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Iowa.
The full plate
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Iowa
Click any column to sort. Search by county name.
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mills County | 14,568 | $90,753 | $277,125 |
| 2 | Boone County | 26,668 | $83,531 | $230,323 |
| 3 | Warren County | 54,409 | $94,588 | $320,411 |
| 4 | Dallas County | 107,968 | $102,379 | $349,911 |
| 5 | Grundy County | 12,384 | $87,205 | $214,673 |
| 6 | Dickinson County | 17,990 | $75,432 | $375,032 |
| 7 | Benton County | 25,724 | $86,962 | $276,829 |
| 8 | Marion County | 33,642 | $78,680 | $266,824 |
| 9 | Winneshiek County | 19,873 | $79,066 | $313,931 |
| 10 | Cedar County | 18,349 | $80,602 | $247,380 |
| 11 | Bremer County | 25,204 | $86,784 | $252,840 |
| 12 | Lyon County | 12,162 | $76,746 | $259,058 |
| 13 | Delaware County | 17,558 | $74,989 | $231,870 |
| 14 | Madison County | 16,926 | $90,855 | $333,980 |
| 15 | Carroll County | 20,594 | $72,930 | $202,644 |
| 16 | Plymouth County | 25,747 | $83,251 | $286,326 |
| 17 | Shelby County | 11,778 | $72,738 | $211,831 |
| 18 | Guthrie County | 10,688 | $77,711 | $270,628 |
| 19 | Iowa County | 16,507 | $71,223 | $224,938 |
| 20 | Fremont County | 6,514 | $71,621 | $180,884 |
| 21 | Harrison County | 14,632 | $79,535 | $218,653 |
| 22 | Sioux County | 36,212 | $86,098 | $303,973 |
| 23 | Linn County | 230,004 | $77,649 | $232,276 |
| 24 | Dubuque County | 99,030 | $77,630 | $272,846 |
| 25 | Kossuth County | 14,516 | $67,697 | $167,979 |
| 26 | Chickasaw County | 11,807 | $75,675 | $212,357 |
| 27 | Buchanan County | 20,694 | $78,236 | $220,037 |
| 28 | Jones County | 20,896 | $73,531 | $236,012 |
| 29 | Butler County | 14,268 | $73,715 | $184,889 |
| 30 | Scott County | 174,608 | $78,277 | $241,812 |
| 31 | Johnson County | 156,639 | $74,935 | $305,263 |
| 32 | Washington County | 22,561 | $75,647 | $226,574 |
| 33 | Monroe County | 7,513 | $70,996 | $168,654 |
| 34 | Cerro Gordo County | 42,632 | $68,189 | $196,088 |
| 35 | Poweshiek County | 18,545 | $67,391 | $215,588 |
| 36 | Jasper County | 37,954 | $71,311 | $226,755 |
| 37 | O’Brien County | 14,126 | $68,356 | $192,728 |
| 38 | Polk County | 503,175 | $83,576 | $278,561 |
| 38 | Mitchell County | 10,575 | $71,365 | $206,631 |
| 40 | Adams County | 3,622 | $71,875 | $156,660 |
| 41 | Worth County | 7,350 | $78,008 | $187,844 |
| 42 | Palo Alto County | 8,863 | $72,781 | $169,655 |
| 43 | Allamakee County | 14,092 | $70,694 | $248,586 |
| 44 | Story County | 100,466 | $69,685 | $273,205 |
| 45 | Jackson County | 19,390 | $74,186 | $230,726 |
| 46 | Greene County | 8,688 | $63,409 | $170,550 |
| 46 | Ringgold County | 4,645 | $73,346 | $172,344 |
| 48 | Davis County | 9,157 | $77,194 | $229,109 |
| 48 | Adair County | 7,460 | $68,092 | $190,466 |
| 50 | Monona County | 8,557 | $68,377 | $156,608 |
| 51 | Henry County | 20,004 | $67,436 | $186,274 |
| 52 | Howard County | 9,445 | $67,446 | $194,689 |
| 53 | Floyd County | 15,328 | $68,557 | $156,965 |
| 54 | Audubon County | 5,599 | $58,229 | $155,863 |
| 55 | Louisa County | 10,678 | $77,354 | $170,178 |
| 56 | Pottawattamie County | 93,424 | $73,602 | $236,650 |
| 57 | Hamilton County | 14,886 | $72,432 | $163,454 |
| 57 | Mahaska County | 22,021 | $70,940 | $194,979 |
| 59 | Hancock County | 10,671 | $70,601 | $180,647 |
| 60 | Cass County | 13,096 | $63,013 | $160,246 |
| 61 | Sac County | 9,689 | $73,838 | $164,687 |
| 62 | Clayton County | 17,013 | $67,242 | $265,997 |
| 63 | Cherokee County | 11,600 | $71,269 | $157,504 |
| 65 | Winnebago County | 10,583 | $67,642 | $150,841 |
| 65 | Taylor County | 5,868 | $67,740 | $135,815 |
| 65 | Calhoun County | 9,803 | $64,964 | $149,518 |
| 67 | Muscatine County | 42,559 | $69,396 | $195,873 |
| 67 | Clarke County | 9,662 | $71,641 | $192,362 |
| 69 | Ida County | 6,911 | $63,073 | $151,974 |
| 70 | Des Moines County | 38,487 | $62,928 | $145,501 |
| 71 | Clay County | 16,461 | $65,428 | $189,272 |
| 72 | Emmet County | 9,262 | $63,730 | $151,541 |
| 73 | Clinton County | 46,268 | $66,981 | $173,141 |
| 74 | Buena Vista County | 20,753 | $71,719 | $186,339 |
| 75 | Marshall County | 40,114 | $73,315 | $189,667 |
| 76 | Keokuk County | 9,924 | $62,329 | $144,716 |
| 77 | Hardin County | 16,639 | $65,069 | $141,286 |
| 78 | Humboldt County | 9,591 | $71,946 | $159,105 |
| 79 | Montgomery County | 10,214 | $63,666 | $142,131 |
| 80 | Woodbury County | 106,247 | $73,658 | $203,074 |
| 81 | Fayette County | 19,288 | $60,165 | $152,872 |
| 82 | Tama County | 16,868 | $70,781 | $171,357 |
| 83 | Wright County | 12,791 | $67,190 | $136,478 |
| 84 | Black Hawk County | 131,049 | $66,417 | $182,638 |
| 85 | Webster County | 36,886 | $68,975 | $137,618 |
| 86 | Wayne County | 6,532 | $61,964 | $140,437 |
| 87 | Decatur County | 7,759 | $59,044 | $154,886 |
| 88 | Osceola County | 6,100 | $69,239 | $171,599 |
| 89 | Jefferson County | 15,705 | $61,620 | $182,079 |
| 90 | Lee County | 32,893 | $62,382 | $120,739 |
| 91 | Page County | 15,131 | $57,953 | $147,055 |
| 92 | Crawford County | 16,277 | $67,027 | $176,453 |
| 93 | Union County | 11,993 | $57,772 | $157,377 |
| 94 | Lucas County | 8,716 | $61,793 | $176,555 |
| 95 | Franklin County | 9,956 | $59,894 | $155,096 |
| 96 | Pocahontas County | 7,046 | $61,875 | $103,731 |
| 97 | Van Buren County | 7,241 | $61,161 | $181,866 |
| 98 | Wapello County | 35,362 | $64,766 | $127,723 |
| 99 | Appanoose County | 12,184 | $54,934 | $111,977 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS + FBI crime data via Saturday Night Science. All 99 Iowa counties.
Summary
Summary: The Best Counties In Iowa To Call Home For 2026
Living in Iowa can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
The best counties in Iowa are Mills County, Boone County, Warren County, Dallas County, Grundy County, Dickinson County, Benton County, Marion County, Winneshiek County, and Cedar County.
But now you know the outstanding parts and the parts to avoid, and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome. Not sold on Iowa? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Counties In Iowa FAQs
What is the best county to live in Iowa?
Mills County is the best county to live in Iowa for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. Boone County and Warren County are next.
What are the best counties in Iowa?
The best counties to live in Iowa are Mills County, Boone County, Warren County, Dallas County, Grundy County, Dickinson County, Benton County, Marion County, Winneshiek County, and Cedar County. We ranked all 99 Iowa counties.
How do you rank the best counties?
Counties are scored on crime, home values, income, unemployment, education, insurance coverage, and poverty, using Census American Community Survey and FBI data. The county with the best average across all seven, Mills County, wins.
How expensive is it to live in Mills County?
The median household income in Mills County is $90,753 and the median home costs $277,125. Statewide, the typical Iowa home runs $231,585.
Which county in Iowa should you think twice about?
Appanoose County lands at the bottom of the quality-of-life ranking for Iowa. People make good lives there anyway; the numbers just say it is the toughest of the 99 counties.
