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.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Iowa For 2026
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.
Now you know exactly where to move in Iowa. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Iowa and the cheapest places to live in Iowa.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Best Counties To Live In Iowa For 2026
1. Mills County
Biggest Place: Glenwood
Population: 14,568
Median Income: $90,753 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $277,124 (10th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.0% (20th best)
More on Mills County: Data
2. Boone County
Biggest Place: Boone
Population: 26,668
Median Income: $83,531 (10th best)
Median Home Price: $230,323 (27th best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.5% (7th best)
More on Boone County: Data
3. Warren County
Biggest Place: Des Moines
Population: 54,409
Median Income: $94,588 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $320,410 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.4% (59th best)
More on Warren County: Data
4. Dallas County
Biggest Place: West Des Moines
Population: 107,968
Median Income: $102,379 (best)
Median Home Price: $349,910 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.3% (29th best)
More on Dallas County: Data
5. Grundy County
Biggest Place: Grundy Center
Population: 12,384
Median Income: $87,205 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $214,672 (35th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.0% (19th best)
More on Grundy County: Data
6. Dickinson County
Biggest Place: Spirit Lake
Population: 17,990
Median Income: $75,432 (27th best)
Median Home Price: $375,031 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.0% (44th best)
More on Dickinson County: Data
7. Benton County
Biggest Place: Vinton
Population: 25,724
Median Income: $86,962 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $276,829 (11th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.0% (2best)
More on Benton County: Data
8. Marion County
Biggest Place: Pella
Population: 33,642
Median Income: $78,680 (15th best)
Median Home Price: $266,823 (15th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.2% (23rd best)
More on Marion County: Data
9. Winneshiek County
Biggest Place: Decorah
Population: 19,873
Median Income: $79,066 (14th best)
Median Home Price: $313,931 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.3% (3best)
More on Winneshiek County: Data
10. Cedar County
Biggest Place: Tipton
Population: 18,349
Median Income: $80,602 (12th best)
Median Home Price: $247,380 (20th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.3% (27th best)
More on Cedar County: 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 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.
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.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Iowa according to the data:
- Appanoose County
- Wapello County
- Van Buren County
For more Iowa reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Iowa
- Safest Places In Iowa
- Cheapest Places To Live In Iowa
- Best Counties To Live In Iowa
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Iowa
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mills County | 14,568 | $90,753 | $277,124 |
| 2 | Boone County | 26,668 | $83,531 | $230,323 |
| 3 | Warren County | 54,409 | $94,588 | $320,410 |
| 4 | Dallas County | 107,968 | $102,379 | $349,910 |
| 5 | Grundy County | 12,384 | $87,205 | $214,672 |
| 6 | Dickinson County | 17,990 | $75,432 | $375,031 |
| 7 | Benton County | 25,724 | $86,962 | $276,829 |
| 8 | Marion County | 33,642 | $78,680 | $266,823 |
| 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 | $252,839 |
| 12 | Lyon County | 12,162 | $76,746 | $259,057 |
| 13 | Delaware County | 17,558 | $74,989 | $231,869 |
| 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 | $224,937 |
| 20 | Fremont County | 6,514 | $71,621 | $180,884 |
| 21 | Harrison County | 14,632 | $79,535 | $218,652 |
| 22 | Sioux County | 36,212 | $86,098 | $303,972 |
| 23 | Linn County | 230,004 | $77,649 | $232,276 |
| 24 | Dubuque County | 99,030 | $77,630 | $272,845 |
| 25 | Kossuth County | 14,516 | $67,697 | $167,979 |
| 26 | Chickasaw County | 11,807 | $75,675 | $212,356 |
| 27 | Buchanan County | 20,694 | $78,236 | $220,036 |
| 28 | Jones County | 20,896 | $73,531 | $236,011 |
| 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 | $226,573 |
| 33 | Monroe County | 7,513 | $70,996 | $168,654 |
| 34 | Cerro Gordo County | 42,632 | $68,189 | $196,087 |
| 35 | Poweshiek County | 18,545 | $67,391 | $215,587 |
| 36 | Jasper County | 37,954 | $71,311 | $226,754 |
| 37 | O’brien County | 14,126 | $68,356 | $192,727 |
| 38 | Polk County | 503,175 | $83,576 | $278,560 |
| 39 | Mitchell County | 10,575 | $71,365 | $206,630 |
| 40 | Adams County | 3,622 | $71,875 | $156,660 |
| 41 | Worth County | 7,350 | $78,008 | $187,843 |
| 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 |
| 47 | Ringgold County | 4,645 | $73,346 | $172,344 |
| 48 | Davis County | 9,157 | $77,194 | $229,108 |
| 49 | Adair County | 7,460 | $68,092 | $190,466 |
| 50 | Monona County | 8,557 | $68,377 | $156,607 |
| 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 | $156,964 |
| 54 | Audubon County | 5,599 | $58,229 | $155,862 |
| 55 | Louisa County | 10,678 | $77,354 | $170,178 |
| 56 | Pottawattamie County | 93,424 | $73,602 | $236,649 |
| 57 | Hamilton County | 14,886 | $72,432 | $163,453 |
| 58 | 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 | $164,686 |
| 62 | Clayton County | 17,013 | $67,242 | $265,997 |
| 63 | Cherokee County | 11,600 | $71,269 | $157,503 |
| 64 | Winnebago County | 10,583 | $67,642 | $150,841 |
| 65 | Taylor County | 5,868 | $67,740 | $135,815 |
| 66 | Calhoun County | 9,803 | $64,964 | $149,518 |
| 67 | Muscatine County | 42,559 | $69,396 | $195,873 |
| 68 | 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 | $145,500 |
| 71 | Clay County | 16,461 | $65,428 | $189,271 |
| 72 | Emmet County | 9,262 | $63,730 | $151,541 |
| 73 | Clinton County | 46,268 | $66,981 | $173,140 |
| 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 | $144,715 |
| 77 | Hardin County | 16,639 | $65,069 | $141,285 |
| 78 | Humboldt County | 9,591 | $71,946 | $159,105 |
| 79 | Montgomery County | 10,214 | $63,666 | $142,130 |
| 80 | Woodbury County | 106,247 | $73,658 | $203,074 |
| 81 | Fayette County | 19,288 | $60,165 | $152,871 |
| 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 | $140,436 |
| 87 | Decatur County | 7,759 | $59,044 | $154,885 |
| 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 | $147,054 |
| 92 | Crawford County | 16,277 | $67,027 | $176,452 |
| 93 | Union County | 11,993 | $57,772 | $157,376 |
| 94 | Lucas County | 8,716 | $61,793 | $176,554 |
| 95 | Franklin County | 9,956 | $59,894 | $155,095 |
| 96 | Pocahontas County | 7,046 | $61,875 | $103,730 |
| 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 | $111,976 |