Wondering where the richest folks live in the Hawkeye State? Wonder no longer, because we’ve used Saturday Night Science to take the guesswork out of determining the wealthiest places in Iowa.
We started by narrowing down our search to only cities with a population of at least 3,000, which left us with 120 cities. Then, we looked for the cities with the highest median household incomes and home prices. That left us with only the most-moneyed spots in Iowa.
The places in Iowa with the highest concentration of wealth are largely around the state’s capital and biggest city, Des Moines. About half the cities on this list are suburbs of Des Moines, with Waukee being the richest of the rich suburbs. If you’re looking for money in the eastern part of the state, North Liberty, situated between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, is your best bet.
In any case, you don’t usually have to travel far from Iowa’s biggest cities to find the hordes of wealth.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
There was a good amount of overlap between the wealthiest cities and the safest and best cities in Iowa. Money doesn’t automatically make a city safe or great, but it sure doesn’t hurt.
What city is the richest in Iowa? According to the data, Polk City is the wealthiest city in Iowa for 2026.
So if you want to know what Iowan cities have corn made of gold, serve fried catfish with a side of caviar, and wear tuxedos to the state fair, read on.
Rich people not your cup of tea? Feel free to check out some more reading about Iowa:
The 10 Richest Cities In Iowa For 2026
1. Polk City
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2. Clive
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Population: 19,012
Median Income: $132,121
Median Home Values: $425,730
More on Clive: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
3. Solon
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Population: 3,152
Median Income: $113,295
Median Home Values: $445,624
More on Solon: Movers
4. Robins
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Population: 3,332
Median Income: $122,262
Median Home Values: $399,969
More on Robins: Data | Movers
5. Asbury
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Population: 5,989
Median Income: $124,957
Median Home Values: $381,428
More on Asbury: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
6. Sergeant Bluff
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7. Johnston
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Population: 24,384
Median Income: $106,551
Median Home Values: $394,440
More on Johnston: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
8. Grimes
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Population: 16,366
Median Income: $120,037
Median Home Values: $348,193
More on Grimes: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
9. Urbandale
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Population: 46,595
Median Income: $112,795
Median Home Values: $349,851
More on Urbandale: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
10. Bondurant
/10
Population: 8,560
Median Income: $135,674
Median Home Values: $330,602
More on Bondurant: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
Methodology: How We Determined The Richest Places In Iowa For 2026
The first thing that comes to most people’s minds when they think about determining the richest places is simply identifying personal incomes. After all, rich people have really high salaries.
However, we don’t believe that one statistic wholly encompasses what it means to be one of the “richest places.” So we looked at this set of criteria from the newly released 2020-2024 American Community Survey and applied Saturday Night Science:
- Median Home Values
- Median Household Income
Median household income is the most digestible way to understand how rich a place is. And home values are a measure of wealth. The two combine to define a “Rich City.”
After we collected the data for all 120 places with more than 3,000 people in Iowa, we ranked each place from 1 to 120 for each of the criteria, with 1 being the richest.
We then averaged all the rankings for a place into a “Rich Score,” with the place having the lowest overall Rich Score, Polk City, crowned the “Richest City In Iowa For 2026.”
The data has been updated for 2026. This is our eleventh time ranking the wealthiest cities in Iowa.
You can skip to the end to see the rankings for all 120 places.
Summary: The Wealthiest Places In Iowa For 2026
Like we said earlier, when we set out to identify the richest places in Iowa, we weren’t sure what we’d encounter, but it ended up being some of the best places to live in Iowa.
The richest cities in Iowa are Polk City, Clive, Solon, Robins, Asbury, Sergeant Bluff, Johnston, Grimes, Urbandale, and Bondurant.
When you look at the data, the cities and places mentioned above meet the criteria for being at the very top of the income ladder for everyone that lives there.
If you’re curious enough, here are the poorest cities in Iowa, according to data:
Poorest: Centerville
2nd Poorest: Oelwein
3rd Poorest: Clarinda
For more Iowa reading, check out:
Detailed List Of The Richest Cities In Iowa
| Rank | City | RichScore | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Polk City | 1.5 | $164,389 | $427,586 |
| 2 | Clive | 3.0 | $132,121 | $425,730 |
| 3 | Solon | 4.5 | $113,295 | $445,624 |
| 4 | Robins | 5.0 | $122,262 | $399,969 |
| 5 | Asbury | 5.5 | $124,957 | $381,428 |
| 6 | Sergeant Bluff | 7.0 | $123,481 | $354,761 |
| 7 | Johnston | 9.5 | $106,551 | $394,440 |
| 8 | Grimes | 9.5 | $120,037 | $348,193 |
| 9 | Urbandale | 10.0 | $112,795 | $349,851 |
| 10 | Bondurant | 11.0 | $135,674 | $330,602 |
| 11 | Le Claire | 12.0 | $104,844 | $378,377 |
| 12 | Huxley | 13.0 | $112,094 | $341,229 |
| 13 | Mount Vernon | 13.0 | $112,656 | $339,886 |
| 14 | Eldridge | 14.0 | $106,316 | $347,340 |
| 15 | Adel | 14.5 | $95,250 | $390,597 |
| 16 | Ankeny | 15.5 | $108,198 | $338,168 |
| 17 | Norwalk | 18.0 | $102,722 | $332,836 |
| 18 | Waukee | 18.0 | $101,029 | $338,880 |
| 19 | Sioux Center | 19.0 | $92,983 | $345,761 |
| 20 | Pella | 20.5 | $84,111 | $351,501 |
| 21 | Tiffin | 21.5 | $100,952 | $327,121 |
| 22 | Bettendorf | 21.5 | $100,495 | $328,095 |
| 23 | Carlisle | 24.0 | $109,191 | $286,846 |
| 24 | North Liberty | 24.0 | $102,102 | $307,635 |
| 25 | West Des Moines | 26.5 | $86,594 | $320,156 |
| 26 | Altoona | 27.5 | $86,114 | $317,901 |
| 27 | Pleasant Hill | 29.5 | $90,508 | $299,730 |
| 28 | Clear Lake | 29.5 | $79,415 | $322,830 |
| 29 | Orange City | 30.0 | $82,122 | $314,345 |
| 30 | Windsor Heights | 31.0 | $91,707 | $282,953 |
| 31 | Story City | 31.0 | $96,605 | $275,224 |
| 32 | Indianola | 33.5 | $75,453 | $309,171 |
| 33 | Rock Valley | 34.0 | $76,250 | $304,708 |
| 34 | Marion | 35.5 | $86,743 | $271,355 |
| 35 | Glenwood | 35.5 | $71,790 | $310,532 |
| 36 | Dyersville | 35.5 | $83,559 | $281,295 |
| 37 | Waverly | 38.5 | $80,284 | $271,473 |
| 38 | Le Mars | 40.5 | $74,701 | $275,107 |
| 39 | Cedar Falls | 41.0 | $76,987 | $259,137 |
| 40 | Spirit Lake | 43.0 | $65,720 | $328,917 |
| 41 | Nevada | 45.0 | $75,094 | $241,439 |
| 42 | Winterset | 47.0 | $67,708 | $289,607 |
| 43 | Carter Lake | 47.5 | $85,349 | $205,604 |
| 44 | Monticello | 49.5 | $70,015 | $237,550 |
| 45 | Coralville | 49.5 | $69,144 | $256,222 |
| 46 | Garner | 50.0 | $70,726 | $225,771 |
| 47 | Decorah | 51.0 | $64,366 | $304,334 |
| 48 | Independence | 51.5 | $73,806 | $216,073 |
| 49 | West Liberty | 54.5 | $69,345 | $219,902 |
| 50 | Hiawatha | 54.5 | $66,270 | $254,299 |
| 51 | Cedar Rapids | 56.0 | $70,424 | $204,111 |
| 52 | Boone | 56.0 | $69,222 | $210,007 |
| 53 | Milford | 56.0 | $63,369 | $282,820 |
| 54 | Dubuque | 56.5 | $65,845 | $245,146 |
| 55 | Vinton | 57.0 | $66,495 | $236,811 |
| 56 | Carroll | 60.5 | $69,706 | $200,080 |
| 57 | Humboldt | 62.0 | $74,500 | $182,713 |
| 58 | Council Bluffs | 63.0 | $64,578 | $223,906 |
| 59 | Des Moines | 63.5 | $65,932 | $208,165 |
| 60 | Ames | 64.0 | $60,991 | $274,367 |
| 61 | Osage | 64.0 | $68,730 | $200,501 |
| 62 | Grinnell | 65.0 | $65,320 | $208,193 |
| 63 | Sioux City | 65.0 | $68,906 | $196,299 |
| 64 | Iowa City | 66.5 | $58,546 | $298,092 |
| 65 | Tipton | 68.0 | $61,115 | $237,385 |
| 66 | Albia | 68.5 | $70,455 | $169,115 |
| 67 | Anamosa | 68.5 | $60,650 | $243,589 |
| 68 | Osceola | 68.5 | $68,284 | $187,628 |
| 69 | Sheldon | 68.5 | $62,159 | $220,402 |
| 70 | Camanche | 69.0 | $64,153 | $203,312 |
| 71 | Forest City | 69.0 | $69,205 | $176,421 |
| 72 | Manchester | 69.5 | $61,191 | $222,973 |
| 73 | Marshalltown | 71.0 | $69,068 | $173,581 |
| 74 | Davenport | 71.0 | $66,200 | $187,412 |
| 75 | Perry | 72.0 | $68,910 | $172,451 |
| 76 | Williamsburg | 73.0 | $58,059 | $261,167 |
| 77 | Waukon | 73.0 | $60,269 | $232,216 |
| 78 | Knoxville | 74.0 | $61,599 | $203,229 |
| 79 | Oskaloosa | 76.5 | $64,004 | $186,482 |
| 80 | Denison | 77.0 | $65,684 | $176,094 |
| 81 | Cresco | 79.5 | $60,608 | $201,240 |
| 82 | Mount Pleasant | 81.0 | $61,042 | $191,461 |
| 83 | Storm Lake | 81.0 | $62,765 | $177,022 |
| 84 | New Hampton | 81.0 | $62,870 | $176,470 |
| 85 | Tama | 81.5 | $68,661 | $138,582 |
| 86 | Maquoketa | 83.0 | $60,240 | $197,794 |
| 87 | Mason City | 83.5 | $64,804 | $154,095 |
| 88 | Spencer | 85.5 | $59,667 | $193,030 |
| 89 | Harlan | 86.0 | $57,488 | $202,951 |
| 90 | Newton | 86.5 | $57,771 | $200,884 |
| 91 | Webster City | 87.5 | $63,430 | $147,379 |
| 92 | Atlantic | 89.0 | $61,141 | $158,965 |
| 93 | Cherokee | 90.0 | $61,750 | $148,065 |
| 94 | Muscatine | 91.0 | $58,117 | $184,866 |
| 95 | Washington | 92.5 | $55,373 | $190,721 |
| 96 | Evansdale | 94.0 | $60,397 | $155,813 |
| 97 | Algona | 94.5 | $56,040 | $179,883 |
| 98 | Jefferson | 94.5 | $58,895 | $171,613 |
| 99 | Eagle Grove | 95.5 | $63,125 | $118,266 |
| 100 | Fort Dodge | 99.0 | $60,649 | $129,004 |