Welcome to the happiest places in Iowa.
Using Saturday Night Science and data, we determined the cities and towns with the most rainbows, butterflies, puppies, and unicorns.
You know, the places where people have jobs, white-picked fences, and friendly neighbors – unicorn cities.
After analyzing the 85 largest cities, we happily present the happiest cities in the Hawkeye State.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Happiest Places In Iowa
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked. If you have a smile on your face, you probably live in one of these cities.
Oh, and by the way, Perry is the most miserable place in Iowa.
For more Iowa reading, check out:
The 10 Happiest Places In Iowa For 2026
/10
Population: 10,720
Poverty Level: 6.0%
Median Home Price $351,501
Married Households 36.0%
Households With Kids 24.81%
More on Pella: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Pella is by far the happiest place in the state of Iowa. Let’s see why.
First off, having a solid family life is a good indication of how happy someone is. Lots of the residents of Pella aren’t missing out on love; more than 36% of them are married. Plus, the average commute time here is only about 13 minutes each way. That means a lot more time with the spouse and kids.
/10
Population: 6,426
Poverty Level: 11.2%
Median Home Price $314,345
Married Households 37.0%
Households With Kids 34.09%
More on Orange City: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Things look to be pretty pleasant in Orange City. Crime is really low here, and the percentage of married residents (37%) mean there’s lots of stability at home.
In addition to those factors, there is a thriving amount of community involvement. Studies have shown that a key factor to happiness is when people volunteer, especially in their own neighborhoods.
/10
Population: 40,888
Poverty Level: 15.7%
Median Home Price $259,137
Married Households 30.0%
Households With Kids 21.91%
More on Cedar Falls: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The people who live in Cedar Falls have a lot going for them. 51% of them have college degrees, and they command some of the highest salaries in IA. 30% of the people here are married.
Most of these all tops in the entire state.
/10
Population: 5,191
Poverty Level: 11.4%
Median Home Price $222,973
Married Households 44.0%
Households With Kids 21.47%
More on Manchester: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Manchester is where you can bet there are lots of smiley and happy people all over town. Crime is essentially something that just doesn’t happen here very often. And when you can let your guard down and relax a little, the lack of stress really makes a difference.
Same goes on the job front. Only 3.5% of residents here are out of work. Sounds like there are jobs for just about everyone who wants one. Which must be a good feeling to have.
/10
Population: 7,607
Poverty Level: 8.3%
Median Home Price $322,830
Married Households 38.0%
Households With Kids 17.85%
More on Clear Lake: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
If you want to see a bunch of happy people, go to Clear Lake. It seriously looks like something out of a commercial.
They have a 18 minute commute time, which means lots more time with the kids.
/10
For those who say that money doesn’t buy happiness, you’re half right. Studies have shown that people are happy up to a certain point when it comes to annual salaries, somewhere around $72,000 a year. After that, it doesn’t matter how much you make, you’re not going to be much happier.
The residents of Sergeant Bluff have that covered. Plus about 38% of households are married.
/10
Population: 5,474
Poverty Level: 15.3%
Median Home Price $220,402
Married Households 42.0%
Households With Kids 26.47%
More on Sheldon: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Most of the people in Sheldon have to be âplum’ happy. True happiness is âHome Sweet Home’ with your kids and spouse, being reminded to do chores, run errands and fold the clothes right.
/10
Population: 6,763
Poverty Level: 17.4%
Median Home Price $158,965
Married Households 30.0%
Households With Kids 24.13%
More on Atlantic: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Less than 1.1% of the residents in Atlantic are jobless, which is just about as low as you’ll see.
Incomes are steady, and commute times are really low as well. That really takes away the stress factors that stop folks from relaxing and enjoying their âdown time’ to do the little things that matter: Walks in the park, time alone with a book and extra face time with the children.
/10
Population: 10,208
Poverty Level: 8.9%
Median Home Price $200,080
Married Households 36.0%
Households With Kids 21.21%
More on Carroll: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
About 27% of residents in Carroll, IA have a college degree. While we’ve all heard the saying, âIgnorance is bliss,’ our argument is: Ignorance is also broke.
Not only are most of the residents of Carroll smart, they’re safe, too.
/10
In Cherokee, most of the population is married, and most own their own homes.
The commute times (12 minutes each way) might eventually start to turn the corners of those smiles sideways.
But for now, it’s all roses in Cherokee.
Methodology: How We Measured The Happiest Cities In The Hawkeye State
To rank the happiest places in Iowa, we had to determine what criteria make people happy. It isn’t a stretch to assume that happy people earn great salaries, are relatively stress-free, and have a stable home life.
So we went to the Census’s American Community Survey 2020-2024 report for the happy criteria, added some Saturday Night Science, and generated the answer.
Here are the criteria we used to measure happiness:
- Percentage of residents with a college degree
- Average commute times
- Unemployment rates
- Cost of living
- % of married couples
- % of families with kids
- Poverty rate
After we decided on the criteria, we gathered the data for the 85 places in Iowa with over 5,000 people.
We then ranked each place from one to 85 for each of the seven criteria, with a score of one being the happiest.
Next, we averaged the seven rankings into a Happy Index for each place with the lowest overall Happy Index “earning” the title “Happiest City In Iowa.”
If you’d like to see the complete list of cities, happiest to saddest, scroll to the bottom of this post to see the unabridged chart.
We updated this article for 2026, and it’s our eleventh time ranking the happiest cities in Iowa.
There You Have It – The Happiest Cities In Iowa
As we said earlier, trying to determine the most miserable cities in Iowa is usually a subjective matter.
But if you’re analyzing cities where people are not stable, where you’re stuck in traffic, and no one spent the time to go to college, then this is an accurate list.
The happiest cities in Iowa are Pella, Orange City, Cedar Falls, Manchester, Clear Lake, Sergeant Bluff, Sheldon, Atlantic, Carroll, and Cherokee.
If you’re curious enough, here are the most miserable cities in Iowa, according to science:
- Perry
- Fort Madison
- Osceola
For more Iowa reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Iowa
- Cheapest Places To Live In Iowa
- Most Dangerous Cities In Iowa
- Richest Cities In Iowa
- Safest Places In Iowa
- Worst Places To Live In Iowa
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Iowa
Happiest Cities In Iowa For 2026
| Rank | City | Population | Poverty Level | Median Home Value | % Married | % Kids |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pella, IA | 10,720 | 6.0% | $351,501 | 36.0% | 24.81% |
| 2 | Orange City, IA | 6,426 | 11.2% | $314,345 | 37.0% | 34.09% |
| 3 | Cedar Falls, IA | 40,888 | 15.7% | $259,137 | 30.0% | 21.91% |
| 4 | Manchester, IA | 5,191 | 11.4% | $222,973 | 44.0% | 21.47% |
| 5 | Clear Lake, IA | 7,607 | 8.3% | $322,830 | 38.0% | 17.85% |
| 6 | Sergeant Bluff, IA | 5,171 | 9.5% | $354,761 | 38.0% | 41.54% |
| 7 | Sheldon, IA | 5,474 | 15.3% | $220,402 | 42.0% | 26.47% |
| 8 | Atlantic, IA | 6,763 | 17.4% | $158,965 | 30.0% | 24.13% |
| 9 | Carroll, IA | 10,208 | 8.9% | $200,080 | 36.0% | 21.21% |
| 10 | Cherokee, IA | 5,154 | 18.5% | $148,065 | 35.0% | 24.9% |
| 11 | Windsor Heights, IA | 5,143 | 6.2% | $282,953 | 42.0% | 30.24% |
| 12 | Ames, IA | 67,669 | 25.5% | $274,367 | 13.0% | 15.48% |
| 13 | Iowa City, IA | 75,752 | 26.3% | $298,092 | 14.0% | 17.23% |
| 14 | Tiffin, IA | 5,737 | 7.6% | $327,121 | 42.0% | 35.87% |
| 15 | Asbury, IA | 5,989 | 3.2% | $381,428 | 43.0% | 44.34% |
| 16 | Johnston, IA | 24,384 | 10.2% | $394,440 | 34.0% | 38.21% |
| 17 | Algona, IA | 5,377 | 6.9% | $179,883 | 35.0% | 24.06% |
| 18 | West Des Moines, IA | 71,083 | 8.4% | $320,156 | 24.0% | 25.71% |
| 19 | Decorah, IA | 7,535 | 8.1% | $304,334 | 22.0% | 14.65% |
| 20 | Spirit Lake, IA | 5,518 | 6.3% | $328,917 | 33.0% | 25.85% |
| 21 | Waverly, IA | 10,494 | 10.9% | $271,473 | 34.0% | 29.18% |
| 22 | Coralville, IA | 23,234 | 13.0% | $256,222 | 21.0% | 25.59% |
| 23 | Dubuque, IA | 59,174 | 12.7% | $245,146 | 30.0% | 24.25% |
| 24 | Mason City, IA | 27,050 | 12.0% | $154,095 | 37.0% | 24.57% |
| 25 | Sioux Center, IA | 8,454 | 2.2% | $345,761 | 30.0% | 38.98% |
| 26 | Eldridge, IA | 6,818 | 1.3% | $347,340 | 39.0% | 42.07% |
| 27 | Urbandale, IA | 46,595 | 6.8% | $349,851 | 37.0% | 34.74% |
| 28 | Spencer, IA | 11,400 | 14.0% | $193,030 | 31.0% | 22.28% |
| 29 | Grinnell, IA | 9,505 | 11.1% | $208,193 | 21.0% | 21.9% |
| 30 | Fairfield, IA | 9,456 | 20.7% | $158,193 | 15.0% | 19.47% |
| 31 | Mount Pleasant, IA | 8,951 | 15.7% | $191,461 | 24.0% | 29.45% |
| 32 | Nevada, IA | 6,983 | 9.9% | $241,439 | 32.0% | 28.83% |
| 33 | Bondurant, IA | 8,560 | 6.2% | $330,602 | 42.0% | 55.12% |
| 34 | Adel, IA | 6,430 | 7.2% | $390,597 | 45.0% | 39.04% |
| 35 | Ankeny, IA | 72,615 | 4.2% | $338,168 | 36.0% | 37.08% |
| 36 | Independence, IA | 6,164 | 7.6% | $216,073 | 43.0% | 27.39% |
| 37 | Boone, IA | 12,424 | 8.3% | $210,007 | 37.0% | 29.05% |
| 38 | Grimes, IA | 16,366 | 4.4% | $348,193 | 34.0% | 38.5% |
| 39 | Polk City, IA | 6,037 | 6.7% | $427,586 | 53.0% | 36.72% |
| 40 | Creston, IA | 7,435 | 15.8% | $152,978 | 24.0% | 25.52% |
| 41 | Le Mars, IA | 10,640 | 9.2% | $275,107 | 36.0% | 31.62% |
| 42 | Marion, IA | 41,896 | 8.1% | $271,355 | 42.0% | 33.95% |
| 43 | Oskaloosa, IA | 11,504 | 16.6% | $186,482 | 32.0% | 28.85% |
| 44 | Washington, IA | 7,290 | 12.8% | $190,721 | 28.0% | 24.53% |
| 45 | Clive, IA | 19,012 | 7.3% | $425,730 | 32.0% | 37.74% |
| 46 | Waukee, IA | 29,236 | 7.4% | $338,880 | 30.0% | 38.21% |
| 47 | Centerville, IA | 5,372 | 21.3% | $80,251 | 24.0% | 20.29% |
| 48 | Hiawatha, IA | 7,206 | 13.7% | $254,299 | 26.0% | 35.73% |
| 49 | Cedar Rapids, IA | 137,264 | 10.8% | $204,111 | 28.0% | 26.74% |
| 50 | Knoxville, IA | 7,473 | 12.5% | $203,229 | 44.0% | 28.27% |
| 51 | Norwalk, IA | 14,183 | 4.2% | $332,836 | 42.0% | 38.34% |
| 52 | Bettendorf, IA | 39,647 | 6.7% | $328,095 | 25.0% | 35.19% |
| 53 | Clinton, IA | 24,322 | 18.5% | $127,331 | 28.0% | 24.02% |
| 54 | Charles City, IA | 7,232 | 13.3% | $140,720 | 33.0% | 20.88% |
| 55 | Burlington, IA | 23,728 | 13.2% | $123,914 | 31.0% | 26.5% |
| 56 | Iowa Falls, IA | 5,038 | 10.7% | $130,588 | 34.0% | 22.82% |
| 57 | Glenwood, IA | 5,144 | 11.8% | $310,532 | 21.0% | 29.28% |
| 58 | Waterloo, IA | 67,008 | 16.6% | $143,280 | 26.0% | 26.19% |
| 59 | Davenport, IA | 100,913 | 15.2% | $187,412 | 22.0% | 24.92% |
| 60 | Red Oak, IA | 5,510 | 21.9% | $136,873 | 33.0% | 29.7% |
| 61 | Council Bluffs, IA | 62,586 | 15.1% | $223,906 | 22.0% | 27.72% |
| 62 | Estherville, IA | 5,839 | 12.6% | $122,713 | 25.0% | 20.38% |
| 63 | Indianola, IA | 16,044 | 6.4% | $309,171 | 32.0% | 30.59% |
| 64 | Pleasant Hill, IA | 11,136 | 8.9% | $299,730 | 37.0% | 33.82% |
| 65 | North Liberty, IA | 21,125 | 6.1% | $307,635 | 26.0% | 33.71% |
| 66 | Muscatine, IA | 23,489 | 19.1% | $184,866 | 23.0% | 34.25% |
| 67 | Sioux City, IA | 86,101 | 15.3% | $196,299 | 23.0% | 32.61% |
| 68 | Des Moines, IA | 212,421 | 15.0% | $208,165 | 21.0% | 29.18% |
| 69 | Winterset, IA | 5,416 | 10.3% | $289,607 | 28.0% | 30.81% |
| 70 | Maquoketa, IA | 6,075 | 14.2% | $197,794 | 36.0% | 25.7% |
| 71 | Altoona, IA | 21,495 | 8.3% | $317,901 | 34.0% | 33.93% |
| 72 | Newton, IA | 15,700 | 11.1% | $200,884 | 33.0% | 23.05% |
| 73 | Fort Dodge, IA | 24,827 | 15.9% | $129,004 | 24.0% | 23.0% |
| 74 | Keokuk, IA | 9,662 | 18.3% | $80,981 | 24.0% | 29.49% |
| 75 | Oelwein, IA | 5,834 | 18.5% | $109,878 | 35.0% | 26.13% |
| 76 | Clarinda, IA | 5,353 | 12.1% | $125,018 | 23.0% | 22.79% |
| 77 | Ottumwa, IA | 25,430 | 17.2% | $121,424 | 26.0% | 35.0% |
| 78 | Denison, IA | 8,260 | 17.5% | $176,094 | 20.0% | 41.35% |
| 79 | Webster City, IA | 7,769 | 8.6% | $147,379 | 33.0% | 31.51% |
| 80 | Marshalltown, IA | 27,626 | 14.3% | $173,581 | 22.0% | 33.4% |
| 81 | Storm Lake, IA | 11,428 | 7.0% | $177,022 | 17.0% | 32.68% |
| 82 | Anamosa, IA | 5,629 | 18.5% | $243,589 | 25.0% | 40.51% |
| 83 | Osceola, IA | 5,523 | 6.4% | $187,628 | 37.0% | 32.93% |
| 84 | Fort Madison, IA | 10,133 | 15.0% | $109,639 | 26.0% | 26.82% |
| 85 | Perry, IA | 7,985 | 8.9% | $172,451 | 18.0% | 29.28% |