There is more to Iowa than farmers, Hawkeyes fans, and Des Moines. There are many awesome places in the great Midwest for those looking to retire.
Take a look below at our list of the best places to retire in Iowa for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best places to retire in the Hawkeye State.
To determine Iowa’s best places to retire, we looked at the latest FBI and Census reports on crime, demographics, affordable housing, distance to the closest international airport, and amenities for 35 cities with over 10,000 residents. The numbers don’t lie.
We discovered that the best places to retire in Iowa are also some of the state’s safest. Secondly, many of the top ten have great rates if you choose to rent. And the ultimate reason to move to one of Iowa’s best places to retire is that they house some of the nicest people.
$722 median rent · $69,706 median income · #1 cheapest rent in Iowa
Located in
Carroll County, Iowa
Carroll is a city in and the county seat of Carroll County, Iowa, United States, located along the Middle Raccoon River. The population was 10,103 in the 2010 census, down from three people in the 10,106 population in the 2000 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$819 median rent · $57,771 median income · #5 cheapest rent in Iowa
Located in
Jasper County, Iowa
Newton is the county seat and most populous city in Jasper County, Iowa, United States. Located 30 miles east of Des Moines, Newton is in Central Iowa. As of the 2010 Census, the city population was 15,254. It is the home of Iowa Speedway, Maytag Dairy Farms, and the Iowa Sculpture Festival.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$831 median rent · $64,004 median income · #7 cheapest rent in Iowa
Located in
Mahaska County, Iowa
Oskaloosa is a city in and the county seat of Mahaska County, Iowa, United States. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, it was a national center of bituminous coal mining. The population was 11,463 in the 2010 census, an increase from 10,938 in the 2000 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$838 median rent · $102,722 median income · #8 cheapest rent in Iowa
Located in
Warren County, Iowa
Norwalk is a city in Warren County, with some small portions extending into Polk County, in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 8,945 at the 2010 census. The city is part of the Des Moines-West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located just south of the Des Moines International Airport.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$791 median rent · $60,230 median income · #3 cheapest rent in Iowa
Located in
Clinton County, Iowa
Clinton is a city in and the county seat of Clinton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 26,885 as of 2010. Clinton, along with DeWitt, Iowa, was named in honor of the sixth governor of New York, DeWitt Clinton. Clinton is the principal city of the Clinton Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is coterminous with Clinton County. Clinton was incorporated on January 26, 1857.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$826 median rent · $50,705 median income · #6 cheapest rent in Iowa
Located in
Lee County, Iowa
Fort Madison is a city and a county seat of Lee County, Iowa, United States along with Keokuk. Of Iowa’s 99 counties, Lee County is the only one with two county seats. The population was 11,051 at the 2010 census. Located along the Mississippi River in the state’s southeast corner, it lies between small bluffs along one of the widest portions of the river.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,187 median rent · $100,495 median income · #28 cheapest rent in Iowa
Located in
Scott County, Iowa
Bettendorf is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Bettendorf is the fifteenth largest city in the U.S. state of Iowa and the fourth largest city in the “Quad Cities”. It is part of the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 33,217 at the 2010 census, and was estimated to be 35,505 by July 2015. Bettendorf is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring Davenport and the Illinois cities of Moline, East Moline and Rock Island. The Quad Cities has a population estimate of 382,630. In 2011, Bettendorf was named U.S. 95th Best Town by CNNMoney.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$805 median rent · $59,667 median income · #4 cheapest rent in Iowa
Located in
Clay County, Iowa
Spencer is a city in the state of Iowa, and the county seat of Clay County. It is located at the confluence of the Little Sioux and Ocheyedan rivers. The population was 11,233 in the 2010 census, a decline from 11,317 in the 2000 census. Spencer has a notable Clay County Fair, held annually in September, which averages more than 300,000 visitors each year.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$924 median rent · $59,000 median income · #13 cheapest rent in Iowa
Located in
Des Moines County, Iowa
Burlington is a city and the county seat of Des Moines County, Iowa, United States. The population was 25,663 in the 2010 census, a decline from the 26,839 population in the 2000 census. Burlington is the center of a micropolitan area including West Burlington, Iowa, and Middletown, Iowa, and Gulfport, Illinois. Burlington is the home of Snake Alley, once labelled the crookedest alley in the world.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$961 median rent · $86,743 median income · #16 cheapest rent in Iowa
Located in
Linn County, Iowa
Marion is a city in Linn County, Iowa, United States. The population was 26,294 at the 2000 census and was 34,768 at the 2010 census, an increase of 32.2%. The city is located next to Cedar Rapids and part of the Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
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
On the map
Where to retire in Iowa
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Places To Retire In the Hawkeye State for 2026
To create our ranking of the best places in Iowa to retire, we used Saturday Night Science. We analyzed Census data to find all places in the Hawkeye State — 1002 cities and towns.
We then narrowed it down to places with at least 10,000 people that weren’t townships. This left us with 35 places from across the state.
For these 35, we looked at the following criteria taken from the Census, the FBI’s Crime Report, National Weather Service, and OpenFlights:
- Low cost of living as measured by rent
- Low crime
- Things to do (Museums, Colleges, and Libraries in town)
- Nice weather
- Distance to the closest international airport
- Other retirees (High median age)
We then ranked each of these places for each criterion from one to 35, with the lowest number being the best.
Finally, we took the average rank across these criteria. The place, in this case Carroll, with the lowest average rank, was crowned the best of the best, a place for you to start your second career.
The report has been updated for 2026. This list reflects our eleventh time ranking the best places to retire in Iowa.
The full plate
Best Places To Retire In Iowa
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Retire Score | Population | Median Income | Average Home Prices | Median Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carroll | 8.20 | 10,208 | $69,706 | $200,081 | $722 |
| 2 | Newton | 9.50 | 15,700 | $57,771 | $200,884 | $819 |
| 3 | Oskaloosa | 10.50 | 11,504 | $64,004 | $186,483 | $831 |
| 4 | Norwalk | 10.90 | 14,183 | $102,722 | $332,836 | $838 |
| 5 | Clinton | 11.60 | 24,322 | $60,230 | $127,331 | $791 |
| 6 | Fort Madison | 12.20 | 10,133 | $50,705 | $109,640 | $826 |
| 7 | Bettendorf | 13.60 | 39,647 | $100,495 | $328,096 | $1,187 |
| 8 | Spencer | 14.20 | 11,400 | $59,667 | $193,031 | $805 |
| 9 | Burlington | 14.60 | 23,728 | $59,000 | $123,915 | $924 |
| 10 | Marion | 15.60 | 41,896 | $86,743 | $271,355 | $961 |
| 11 | Urbandale | 16.40 | 46,595 | $112,795 | $349,851 | $1,211 |
| 12 | Muscatine | 16.60 | 23,489 | $58,117 | $184,866 | $974 |
| 13 | Pella | 16.60 | 10,720 | $84,111 | $351,502 | $1,046 |
| 14 | Indianola | 16.90 | 16,044 | $75,453 | $309,171 | $986 |
| 15 | Le Mars | 17.60 | 10,640 | $74,701 | $275,107 | $929 |
| 16 | Dubuque | 17.90 | 59,174 | $65,845 | $245,147 | $948 |
| 17 | Johnston | 17.90 | 24,384 | $106,551 | $394,441 | $1,338 |
| 18 | Fort Dodge | 18.10 | 24,827 | $60,649 | $129,004 | $785 |
| 19 | Clive | 18.10 | 19,012 | $132,121 | $425,730 | $1,073 |
| 20 | Marshalltown | 19.00 | 27,626 | $69,068 | $173,581 | $891 |
| 21 | Davenport | 19.20 | 100,913 | $66,200 | $187,412 | $978 |
| 22 | Ottumwa | 20.20 | 25,430 | $61,103 | $121,425 | $921 |
| 23 | Waterloo | 20.50 | 67,008 | $57,480 | $143,280 | $923 |
| 24 | Waverly | 20.90 | 10,494 | $80,284 | $271,473 | $1,057 |
| 25 | Storm Lake | 21.20 | 11,428 | $62,765 | $177,022 | $898 |
| 26 | Cedar Rapids | 21.40 | 137,264 | $70,424 | $204,112 | $967 |
| 27 | Waukee | 22.00 | 29,236 | $101,029 | $338,881 | $1,383 |
| 28 | Ames | 22.50 | 67,669 | $60,991 | $274,367 | $1,023 |
| 29 | Des Moines | 22.70 | 212,421 | $65,932 | $208,166 | $1,090 |
| 30 | West Des Moines | 22.80 | 71,083 | $86,594 | $320,156 | $1,237 |
| 31 | Altoona | 23.70 | 21,495 | $86,114 | $317,902 | $1,235 |
| 32 | Ankeny | 24.00 | 72,615 | $108,198 | $338,168 | $1,319 |
| 33 | Council Bluffs | 24.00 | 62,586 | $64,578 | $223,906 | $1,030 |
| 34 | Coralville | 24.30 | 23,234 | $69,144 | $256,223 | $1,057 |
| 35 | North Liberty | 24.60 | 21,125 | $102,102 | $307,636 | $1,246 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, FBI UCR, OpenFlights. 35 cities with more than 10,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Maybe You’re Not Ready To Retire In Iowa Yet…
So there you have it, the best place to retire in Iowa goes to Carroll.
The best places to retire in Iowa are Carroll, Newton, Oskaloosa, Norwalk, Clinton, Fort Madison, Bettendorf, Spencer, Burlington, and Marion.
If you’re not ready to hang up your office apparel yet, then these places might be up your alley.
