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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 2021.
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Iowa For 2021
Bremer County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Iowa. And you might want to avoid Decatur 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 2021
1. Bremer County
Biggest Place: Waverly
Population: 24,864
Median Income: $70,395 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $165,700.0 (12th best)
Unemployment Rate: 229.4% (2best)
More on Bremer County: Photos | Data
2. Winneshiek County
Biggest Place: Decorah
Population: 20,262
Median Income: $65,263 (12th best)
Median Home Price: $177,300.0 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 197.3% (11th best)
More on Winneshiek County: Photos | Data
3. Grundy County
Biggest Place: Grundy Center
Population: 12,299
Median Income: $68,038 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $130,200.0 (33rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 221.7% (17th best)
More on Grundy County: Data
4. Madison County
Biggest Place: West Des Moines
Population: 16,012
Median Income: $66,316 (11th best)
Median Home Price: $177,500.0 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 276.3% (3best)
More on Madison County: Photos | Data
5. Cedar County
Biggest Place: Tipton
Population: 18,457
Median Income: $67,795 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $156,000.0 (18th best)
Unemployment Rate: 308.8% (46th best)
More on Cedar County: Photos | Data
6. Dallas County
Biggest Place: West Des Moines
Population: 87,099
Median Income: $88,479 (best)
Median Home Price: $248,100.0 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 273.0% (30th best)
More on Dallas County: Photos | Data
7. Benton County
Biggest Place: Vinton
Population: 25,636
Median Income: $67,729 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $157,200.0 (16th best)
Unemployment Rate: 299.0% (38th best)
More on Benton County: Photos | Data
8. Marion County
Biggest Place: Pella
Population: 33,172
Median Income: $61,038 (27th best)
Median Home Price: $157,300.0 (15th best)
Unemployment Rate: 220.9% (16th best)
More on Marion County: Photos | Data
9. Carroll County
Biggest Place: Carroll
Population: 20,281
Median Income: $59,212 (34th best)
Median Home Price: $138,900.0 (26th best)
Unemployment Rate: 203.7% (13th best)
More on Carroll County: Photos | Data
10. Boone County
Biggest Place: Boone
Population: 26,370
Median Income: $64,000 (16th best)
Median Home Price: $132,700.0 (30th best)
Unemployment Rate: 277.2% (32nd best)
More on Boone County: Photos | Data
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 Bremer County is the best county, while Decatur County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Iowa.
There You Have It - 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:
- Decatur County
- Van Buren County
- Wapello County
For more Iowa reading, check out:
- Safest Places In Iowa
- Best Places To Retire In Iowa
- Best Counties To Live In Iowa
- Cheapest Places To Live In Iowa
I think you’re roughly 27 counties short… there are 99 in Iowa