You’re probably never going to make enough money to live in the richest counties in Iowa.
The median household income in Dallas County, the richest county in Iowa is $99,533, significantly higher than the US median of $74,580, which means based purely on math most people never make enough to live there.
And that’s okay because it’s still fun to look at the people living in the lap of luxury.
So we used Saturday Night Science and the most recent Census to rank home prices and incomes for all 99 counties in the Hawkeye State. Let’s star gaze together.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | Summary
The 10 Richest Counties In Iowa For 2024
What is the richest county in Iowa? The richest county in Iowa is Dallas County. In contrast, the poorest county in state is Appanoose County, according to the Census 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.
The Richest Counties In Iowa For 2024
1. Dallas County
Biggest Place: West Des Moines
Population: 100,367
Median Income: $99,533 (highest)
Median Home Price: $332,474 (2nd highest)
More on Dallas County: Data
2. Madison County
Biggest Place: West Des Moines
Population: 16,609
Median Income: $88,110 (3rd highest)
Median Home Price: $296,549 (3rd highest)
More on Madison County: Data
3. Warren County
Biggest Place: Des Moines
Population: 52,709
Median Income: $89,741 (2nd highest)
Median Home Price: $296,338 (4th highest)
More on Warren County: Data
4. Sioux County
Biggest Place: Sioux Center
Population: 35,815
Median Income: $81,914 (5th highest)
Median Home Price: $261,701 (7th highest)
More on Sioux County: Data
5. Mills County
Biggest Place: Glenwood
Population: 14,605
Median Income: $81,907 (6th highest)
Median Home Price: $260,397 (9th highest)
More on Mills County: Data
6. Plymouth County
Biggest Place: Sioux City
Population: 25,621
Median Income: $79,963 (8th highest)
Median Home Price: $251,031 (10th highest)
More on Plymouth County: Data
7. Polk County
Biggest Place: Des Moines
Population: 493,378
Median Income: $78,827 (10th highest)
Median Home Price: $261,050 (8th highest)
More on Polk County: Data
8. Bremer County
Biggest Place: Waverly
Population: 25,012
Median Income: $84,727 (4th highest)
Median Home Price: $230,993 (15th highest)
More on Bremer County: Data
9. Benton County
Biggest Place: Vinton
Population: 25,652
Median Income: $79,444 (9th highest)
Median Home Price: $215,658 (19th highest)
More on Benton County: Data
10. Cedar County
Biggest Place: Tipton
Population: 18,479
Median Income: $76,959 (12th highest)
Median Home Price: $227,990 (16th highest)
More on Cedar County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which Iowa county is the richest?
To determine the richest county in Iowa, we have to look at a handful of metrics that correlate with how rich people are. To do that, we made assumptions about what makes a county rich. 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 the American Community Survey data and Zillow for the most recent reporting period for data on the following:
- Average Home Price
- Median Income
We then ranked each county in Iowa for each of the criteria from one to 99, with one being the richest.
Taking the average rank across the two criteria, we created a Rich Score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Richest County In Iowa.”
The result is some of the places with the most expensive real estate and highest earners in the Hawkeye State.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our first time ranking the richest counties to live in Iowa. We have also ranked the richest states and richest cities in the United States.
Summary: The Richest Counties In Iowa For 2024
Living in Iowa can vary from one part of the state to the next, with pretty extreme variance in home prices and incomes across counties.
The richest counties in Iowa are Dallas County, Madison County, Warren County, Sioux County, Mills County, Plymouth County, Polk County, Bremer County, Benton County, and Cedar County.
Now you know the parts of the state where Goodwill will have the best goodies, and that’s what you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the poorest counties in Iowa according to the data:
- Appanoose County
- Wapello County
- Lee County
For more Iowa reading, check out:
- Cheapest Places To Live In Iowa
- Richest Cities In Iowa
- Best Counties To Live In Iowa
- Safest Places In Iowa
Detailed List Of The Richest Counties In Iowa
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dallas County | 100,367 | $99,533 | $332,474 |
| 2 | Madison County | 16,609 | $88,110 | $296,549 |
| 3 | Warren County | 52,709 | $89,741 | $296,338 |
| 4 | Sioux County | 35,815 | $81,914 | $261,701 |
| 5 | Mills County | 14,605 | $81,907 | $260,397 |
| 6 | Plymouth County | 25,621 | $79,963 | $251,031 |
| 7 | Polk County | 493,378 | $78,827 | $261,050 |
| 8 | Bremer County | 25,012 | $84,727 | $230,993 |
| 9 | Benton County | 25,652 | $79,444 | $215,658 |
| 10 | Cedar County | 18,479 | $76,959 | $227,990 |
| 11 | Dickinson County | 17,692 | $72,446 | $365,910 |
| 12 | Johnson County | 153,360 | $72,977 | $284,675 |
| 13 | Guthrie County | 10,619 | $75,795 | $239,136 |
| 14 | Delaware County | 17,523 | $75,896 | $219,306 |
| 15 | Marion County | 33,487 | $74,193 | $233,369 |
| 16 | Dubuque County | 98,812 | $73,495 | $239,543 |
| 17 | Davis County | 9,093 | $77,176 | $210,081 |
| 18 | Lyon County | 12,023 | $73,735 | $216,304 |
| 19 | Grundy County | 12,351 | $80,701 | $196,446 |
| 20 | Linn County | 229,308 | $75,457 | $210,133 |
| 21 | Boone County | 26,700 | $75,759 | $208,125 |
| 22 | Scott County | 174,315 | $72,792 | $213,061 |
| 23 | Harrison County | 14,623 | $75,830 | $193,130 |
| 24 | Winneshiek County | 20,050 | $67,770 | $279,799 |
| 25 | Iowa County | 16,575 | $69,787 | $213,121 |
| 26 | Buchanan County | 20,631 | $73,493 | $196,315 |
| 27 | Jackson County | 19,470 | $69,709 | $211,131 |
| 28 | Washington County | 22,534 | $71,122 | $206,285 |
| 29 | Story County | 98,573 | $66,197 | $243,673 |
| 30 | Chickasaw County | 11,957 | $72,734 | $186,615 |
| 31 | Jones County | 20,733 | $68,781 | $208,648 |
| 32 | Pottawattamie County | 93,543 | $68,718 | $206,962 |
| 33 | Shelby County | 11,737 | $70,295 | $184,567 |
| 34 | Jasper County | 37,808 | $67,784 | $198,920 |
| 35 | Monroe County | 7,574 | $76,324 | $156,441 |
| 36 | Woodbury County | 105,526 | $68,399 | $186,050 |
| 37 | Carroll County | 20,728 | $68,041 | $185,811 |
| 38 | Allamakee County | 14,046 | $64,049 | $215,448 |
| 39 | Worth County | 7,417 | $69,897 | $163,381 |
| 40 | Muscatine County | 42,968 | $67,427 | $182,996 |
| 41 | Louisa County | 10,823 | $72,500 | $152,862 |
| 42 | Mitchell County | 10,537 | $66,056 | $183,852 |
| 43 | Hancock County | 10,790 | $67,865 | $166,194 |
| 44 | Marshall County | 40,049 | $70,828 | $152,485 |
| 45 | Butler County | 14,376 | $65,743 | $175,196 |
| 46 | Sac County | 9,778 | $68,778 | $152,613 |
| 47 | Poweshiek County | 18,608 | $61,192 | $210,922 |
| 48 | Cerro Gordo County | 42,979 | $63,149 | $186,284 |
| 49 | Fremont County | 6,639 | $69,375 | $147,741 |
| 50 | Mahaska County | 22,059 | $65,200 | $169,869 |
| 51 | Humboldt County | 9,606 | $66,617 | $158,856 |
| 52 | Ringgold County | 4,690 | $67,898 | $150,941 |
| 53 | Howard County | 9,479 | $63,947 | $168,862 |
| 54 | O’brien County | 14,138 | $65,076 | $164,469 |
| 55 | Buena Vista County | 20,687 | $62,662 | $180,891 |
| 56 | Hamilton County | 14,979 | $66,685 | $151,752 |
| 57 | Tama County | 17,017 | $65,483 | $155,382 |
| 58 | Adams County | 3,680 | $64,750 | $162,530 |
| 59 | Adair County | 7,479 | $63,172 | $166,966 |
| 60 | Clayton County | 17,123 | $60,441 | $190,374 |
| 61 | Clarke County | 9,737 | $63,120 | $167,802 |
| 62 | Henry County | 20,436 | $62,365 | $172,751 |
| 63 | Palo Alto County | 8,938 | $67,306 | $143,560 |
| 64 | Osceola County | 6,149 | $67,561 | $141,110 |
| 65 | Black Hawk County | 131,041 | $62,329 | $172,816 |
| 66 | Clay County | 16,423 | $61,756 | $179,378 |
| 67 | Lucas County | 8,666 | $63,405 | $160,125 |
| 68 | Cherokee County | 11,601 | $63,638 | $148,556 |
| 69 | Clinton County | 46,488 | $61,080 | $164,063 |
| 70 | Webster County | 36,986 | $65,335 | $133,691 |
| 71 | Kossuth County | 14,718 | $62,553 | $149,057 |
| 72 | Calhoun County | 9,893 | $65,614 | $130,538 |
| 73 | Crawford County | 16,450 | $61,188 | $154,218 |
| 74 | Ida County | 6,969 | $63,125 | $140,672 |
| 75 | Winnebago County | 10,704 | $62,853 | $142,455 |
| 76 | Floyd County | 15,601 | $62,356 | $146,455 |
| 77 | Hardin County | 16,861 | $64,656 | $132,371 |
| 78 | Taylor County | 5,916 | $65,926 | $117,747 |
| 79 | Jefferson County | 15,785 | $52,210 | $168,789 |
| 80 | Franklin County | 10,015 | $62,214 | $140,151 |
| 81 | Emmet County | 9,349 | $64,461 | $117,903 |
| 82 | Van Buren County | 7,207 | $58,417 | $144,125 |
| 83 | Cass County | 13,116 | $60,815 | $135,430 |
| 84 | Greene County | 8,801 | $56,884 | $145,306 |
| 85 | Monona County | 8,671 | $59,897 | $138,206 |
| 86 | Montgomery County | 10,285 | $61,261 | $126,402 |
| 87 | Page County | 15,225 | $58,264 | $133,426 |
| 88 | Des Moines County | 38,824 | $58,084 | $134,579 |
| 89 | Keokuk County | 10,026 | $60,016 | $128,641 |
| 90 | Pocahontas County | 7,061 | $61,434 | $101,077 |
| 91 | Fayette County | 19,519 | $56,043 | $139,704 |
| 92 | Union County | 12,107 | $56,495 | $130,581 |
| 93 | Wayne County | 6,484 | $58,257 | $121,416 |
| 94 | Wright County | 12,897 | $58,240 | $123,796 |
| 95 | Audubon County | 5,651 | $54,973 | $132,389 |
| 96 | Decatur County | 7,684 | $56,068 | $128,902 |
| 97 | Lee County | 33,442 | $58,094 | $112,283 |
| 98 | Wapello County | 35,292 | $56,209 | $114,869 |
| 99 | Appanoose County | 12,279 | $50,684 | $96,764 |
