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 places 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 helping people find the best places to live in America for years.
So, 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.
After the analytic dust settled, we identified the 10 best counties to live in Hawkeye State for 2022.
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Iowa For 2022
Grundy County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Iowa. And you might want to avoid Van Buren County if you can — at least according to the data.
So if you’re thinking of making the move Iowa, we’ve got you covered. Keep on reading for a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Iowa and the cheapest places to live in Iowa.
The Best Counties To Live In Iowa For 2022
1. Grundy County
Biggest Place: Grundy Center
Population: 12,262
Median Income: $71,760.0 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $138,100.0 (30th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.4% (24th best)
More on Grundy County: Data
2. Winneshiek County
Biggest Place: Decorah
Population: 20,090
Median Income: $63,162.0 (23rd best)
Median Home Price: $183,300.0 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.1% (13th best)
More on Winneshiek County: Photos | Data
3. Cedar County
Biggest Place: Tipton
Population: 18,475
Median Income: $69,259.0 (10th best)
Median Home Price: $163,100.0 (15th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.8% (34th best)
More on Cedar County: Photos | Data
4. Boone County
Biggest Place: Boone
Population: 26,381
Median Income: $67,442.0 (12th best)
Median Home Price: $141,000.0 (27th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.2% (18th best)
More on Boone County: Photos | Data
5. Sioux County
Biggest Place: Sioux Center
Population: 34,900
Median Income: $73,260.0 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $182,500.0 (9th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.2% (16th best)
More on Sioux County: Photos | Data
6. Benton County
Biggest Place: Vinton
Population: 25,558
Median Income: $66,046.0 (15th best)
Median Home Price: $158,700.0 (19th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.3% (20th best)
More on Benton County: Photos | Data
7. Madison County
Biggest Place: West Des Moines
Population: 16,148
Median Income: $71,811.0 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $186,700.0 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.0% (38th best)
More on Madison County: Photos | Data
8. Bremer County
Biggest Place: Waverly
Population: 25,032
Median Income: $72,209.0 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $169,000.0 (13th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.1% (45th best)
More on Bremer County: Photos | Data
9. Warren County
Biggest Place: Des Moines
Population: 50,867
Median Income: $80,309.0 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $196,100.0 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.3% (50th best)
More on Warren County: Photos | Data
10. Plymouth County
Biggest Place: Sioux City
Population: 25,141
Median Income: $71,147.0 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $172,600.0 (12th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.1% (12th best)
More on Plymouth County: Photos | Data
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 need to make some assumptions about what’s a “best county” and what isn’t. And, for reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, don’t take this analysis to court.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best sources of data on the internet; the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent time 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, quiet, and best counties to raise a family in the Hawkeye State.
Read on to see why Grundy County is the best county, while Van Buren County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Iowa.
Summary: The Best Counties In Iowa To Call Home For 2018
It turns out living in Iowa can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
But now you the know the really good parts and the parts to avoid and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day. And for that, you are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Iowa according to the data:
- Van Buren County
- Wapello County
- Decatur County
For more Iowa reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Iowa
- Best Places To Buy A House In Iowa
- Best Places To Retire In Iowa
- Best Counties To Live In Iowa
