State rankings

Best Counties to Live in Iowa

Compare counties in Iowa by overall score, affordability, economy, schools, safety, taxes, and peace & quiet. Rankings are public-data estimates for comparison and research.

#1 in IA

Carroll County

79.6

Overall score

Open county report

#2 in IA

Shelby County

79.5

Overall score

Open county report

#3 in IA

Sioux County

79.2

Overall score

Open county report

#4 in IA

Lyon County

78.9

Overall score

Open county report

#5 in IA

Taylor County

78.9

Overall score

Open county report

Category highlights

Quick entry points for common county search priorities.

National rankings

Best overall

Carroll County

Overall score 79.6

Most affordable

Lee County

Affordability 92.5

Best schools

Dallas County

Schools 97.9

Safest

Mitchell County

Safety 99.7

Lowest taxes

Van Buren County

Taxes 60.5

Best peace & quiet

Sioux County

Peace & Quiet 96.8

All Iowa counties

Showing 99 counties ranked by the default generated overall score.

Rank	County	Overall	Economy	Afford.	Schools	Safety	Taxes	Peace & Quiet	Typical home	Income
1	Carroll County FIPS 19027	79.6	75.2	77.3	86.1	97.5	48.7	95.9	$202,644	$72,930
2	Shelby County FIPS 19165	79.5	72.6	75.7	93.5	96.7	45.1	93.8	$211,831	$72,738
3	Sioux County FIPS 19167	79.2	93.5	64.2	79.4	96.6	46.1	96.8	$303,973	$86,098
4	Lyon County FIPS 19119	78.9	90	67.7	82.4	84	57	94.5	$259,058	$76,746
5	Taylor County FIPS 19173	78.9	69.3	88.7	87.6	85.8	44.3	90.9	$135,815	$67,740
6	Chickasaw County FIPS 19037	78.8	82	78.5	77.2	88.9	52.8	93.1	$212,357	$75,675
7	Mitchell County FIPS 19131	78.8	73.9	77.2	82.1	99.7	49	95.1	$206,631	$71,365
8	Worth County FIPS 19195	78.8	75	85.5	75.2	89.3	56.4	92.5	$187,844	$78,008
9	Hamilton County FIPS 19079	78.5	76.9	85.2	81.1	90.7	35.6	91.9	$163,454	$72,432
10	Bremer County FIPS 19017	78.3	72.9	74.8	93.1	96.8	36.9	90.8	$252,840	$86,784
11	Hancock County FIPS 19081	78.3	75.6	83.7	75.6	90.6	51	94.2	$180,647	$70,601
12	Dallas County FIPS 19049	78.1	93.9	62.3	97.9	93.9	12.8	81.7	$349,911	$102,379
13	Cherokee County FIPS 19035	77.8	81.3	86.1	59	96.8	48.7	95.7	$157,504	$71,269
14	Humboldt County FIPS 19091	77.7	62.7	85.9	91	96	32.6	93.7	$159,105	$71,946
15	Grundy County FIPS 19075	77.1	70.3	84.2	82.6	87.2	43.4	91.3	$214,673	$87,205
16	Warren County FIPS 19181	76.7	83.7	67.9	92.1	88.5	27.9	86.1	$320,411	$94,588
17	Ringgold County FIPS 19159	76.5	73.9	78	87.2	89.8	34.5	82.5	$172,344	$73,346
18	Madison County FIPS 19121	76.4	78.8	63.5	92.2	97.2	34.2	87.5	$333,980	$90,855
19	O'Brien County FIPS 19141	76	73.9	76.2	82.2	81.8	51.2	92.5	$187,576	$68,356
20	Plymouth County FIPS 19149	75.9	78.1	65.9	80.9	92.5	50.9	94.9	$286,326	$83,251
21	Audubon County FIPS 19009	75.8	69.4	81.4	74.8	94.1	42.8	95.5	$155,863	$58,229
22	Wright County FIPS 19197	75.8	81.7	88.5	57	94.9	30.5	90.3	$136,478	$67,190
23	Marion County FIPS 19125	75.4	74	68.1	89.5	91.7	37.2	90.3	$266,824	$78,680
24	Guthrie County FIPS 19077	75.2	80.9	64.3	77.3	93.3	53.6	82.5	$270,628	$77,711
25	Osceola County FIPS 19143	74.9	81.1	81.9	63.3	72	58.7	95.4	$171,599	$69,239
26	Calhoun County FIPS 19025	74.8	65.5	84.3	75.7	88.6	45	88.1	$149,518	$64,964
27	Delaware County FIPS 19055	74.6	72.3	73.2	77.5	93	41.6	91.9	$231,870	$74,989
28	Winneshiek County FIPS 19191	74.4	72.2	55.3	96.2	94.8	43.8	93.7	$313,931	$79,066
29	Ida County FIPS 19093	74.3	62.6	81.5	82.7	74.4	57.8	96.3	$151,974	$63,073
30	Davis County FIPS 19051	74.2	79.6	76	59.6	96.7	44.7	87.9	$229,109	$77,194
31	Clay County FIPS 19041	73.7	69.3	74	77.1	92.4	39.2	93.5	$189,272	$65,428
32	Sac County FIPS 19161	73.4	72	83.8	56.3	90.7	51.7	89	$164,687	$73,838
33	Winnebago County FIPS 19189	73.1	78.4	84.2	67	69.6	37.5	96.6	$150,841	$67,642
34	Benton County FIPS 19011	72.9	69.2	71.2	80.1	86.7	43.8	88.7	$276,829	$86,962
35	Kossuth County FIPS 19109	72.8	75.9	84.1	58.3	72.8	53.8	96.3	$167,979	$67,697
36	Hardin County FIPS 19083	72.4	67.1	85.6	66.1	85.2	37.3	89.9	$141,286	$65,069
37	Harrison County FIPS 19085	72.4	73.6	76.4	62.6	92.4	41.4	88.4	$218,653	$79,535
38	Adams County FIPS 19003	72.1	62.8	84.5	67	86	45	90.4	$156,660	$71,875
39	Butler County FIPS 19023	71.8	62.3	83.6	69.6	90.2	34.2	88.6	$184,889	$73,715
40	Boone County FIPS 19015	71.6	70.2	77.3	67.7	92.6	28.7	89.4	$230,323	$83,531
41	Monroe County FIPS 19135	71.6	65.6	84.7	70.3	84.9	30.8	83.3	$168,654	$70,996
42	Adair County FIPS 19001	71.5	82.1	75.8	44.8	95.8	40.3	93.3	$190,466	$68,092
43	Mills County FIPS 19129	71.4	65.6	72	89.8	80.3	26.7	86.6	$277,125	$90,753
44	Iowa County FIPS 19095	71.2	59	72.5	84.4	90.9	31.9	92.3	$224,938	$71,223
45	Wayne County FIPS 19185	71.2	66.1	85.5	59.8	84.4	43.6	86.9	$140,437	$61,964
46	Howard County FIPS 19089	70.3	70.8	74.5	53.2	94.1	47.6	89.1	$194,689	$67,446
47	Poweshiek County FIPS 19157	70.3	72.1	66.8	92.3	63.6	30.3	91.6	$215,588	$67,391
48	Cass County FIPS 19029	70.2	66.1	79.9	73.2	74.7	30.4	96.8	$160,246	$63,013
49	Cedar County FIPS 19031	70.2	68.5	73.5	63.1	90.9	41	87.8	$247,380	$80,602
50	Dickinson County FIPS 19059	70.2	77.9	34.2	90.2	95.5	57.7	81.4	$375,032	$75,432
51	Jackson County FIPS 19097	70.1	63.9	72.4	61.9	96.9	47.4	87.9	$230,726	$74,186
52	Story County FIPS 19169	70.1	68.3	53.6	97.4	95.4	15.6	84.6	$273,205	$69,685
53	Washington County FIPS 19183	70	84	73.6	53.7	83.2	29	90.1	$226,574	$75,647
54	Palo Alto County FIPS 19147	69.8	78.4	81	40.9	77.1	55.7	92.2	$169,655	$72,781
55	Keokuk County FIPS 19107	69.7	56.8	85.8	62.1	84.7	45.8	86.9	$144,716	$62,329
56	Pocahontas County FIPS 19151	69.7	57	91.6	64.3	-	47.5	89.2	$103,731	$61,875
57	Buchanan County FIPS 19019	69.6	67.1	77.8	67.8	75.8	39.5	90	$220,037	$78,236
58	Fayette County FIPS 19065	69.6	60.9	80.7	62.5	90.5	36.3	90.2	$152,872	$60,165
59	Floyd County FIPS 19067	69.3	62.8	84.4	49.8	96.5	34.2	92.5	$156,965	$68,557
60	Dubuque County FIPS 19061	69.1	67	64.2	70.4	95.1	36.2	87.3	$272,846	$77,630
61	Linn County FIPS 19113	69	65.4	73.2	76.2	96.2	10	73.1	$232,276	$77,649
62	Cerro Gordo County FIPS 19033	68.8	72.9	72.5	54.2	94.2	30	90.3	$196,088	$68,189
63	Franklin County FIPS 19069	68.7	59.7	79.8	49.9	99.5	43	92.7	$155,096	$59,894
64	Jasper County FIPS 19099	68.7	63.9	69.7	66	96.4	32.3	89.1	$226,755	$71,311
65	Greene County FIPS 19073	67.8	67.4	79.2	60.9	-	42.8	91.2	$170,550	$63,409
66	Mahaska County FIPS 19123	67.7	70.1	73.6	50	87	41.2	92.9	$194,979	$70,940
67	Clinton County FIPS 19045	67.6	52.5	80.2	69.7	93.3	20.2	88.4	$173,141	$66,981
68	Buena Vista County FIPS 19021	67.5	80.4	79.9	22.3	92	44	95.7	$186,339	$71,719
69	Clarke County FIPS 19039	67.1	76.2	78	44.3	85.2	24.4	89.4	$192,362	$71,641
70	Scott County FIPS 19163	67.1	64.3	70.2	68.8	94.8	20.4	68.3	$241,812	$78,277
71	Jefferson County FIPS 19101	67	53.2	71.8	69.5	96.1	26.9	94.9	$182,079	$61,620
72	Page County FIPS 19145	66.8	60.3	79.7	47.7	94.7	34.2	93.6	$147,055	$57,953
73	Henry County FIPS 19087	66.2	57.8	78.2	60.6	88.8	21.7	91.6	$186,274	$67,436
74	Emmet County FIPS 19063	66.1	64.8	84	27.2	98.8	40.8	91.8	$151,541	$63,730
75	Lee County FIPS 19111	66.1	55	92.5	47.7	90.5	16.1	89.8	$120,739	$62,382
76	Fremont County FIPS 19071	65.9	56.7	80.7	60.3	69.7	44.6	91.7	$180,884	$71,621
77	Johnson County FIPS 19103	65.8	67.7	50.5	88.5	94.8	4.8	77.5	$305,263	$74,935
78	Appanoose County FIPS 19007	65	47.4	87.1	61.4	84.1	20.7	88.5	$111,977	$54,934
79	Monona County FIPS 19133	64.6	61.2	86	33	76.6	51.8	90.8	$156,608	$68,377
80	Polk County FIPS 19153	64.5	73.8	65.3	67.3	95.4	3.8	32.3	$278,561	$83,576
81	Des Moines County FIPS 19057	64.3	53.3	86	43.5	93	22.8	89.9	$145,501	$62,928
82	Union County FIPS 19175	64.3	66.4	77.3	37.9	93	20.6	94.7	$157,377	$57,772
83	Louisa County FIPS 19115	64.1	64.2	86.7	32.8	71.9	46.8	86.5	$170,178	$77,354
84	Woodbury County FIPS 19193	64.1	63.8	76	38.7	95.9	25.9	88.7	$203,074	$73,658
85	Crawford County FIPS 19047	64	53.1	80.4	36.3	98.3	38.7	95.7	$176,453	$67,027
86	Allamakee County FIPS 19005	63.6	60.7	61.5	49.2	94.1	48.9	84.7	$248,586	$70,694
87	Lucas County FIPS 19117	63.6	60.2	80	43.2	69.6	49	91.1	$176,555	$61,793
88	Pottawattamie County FIPS 19155	63.6	71.2	69.4	41.9	88.8	23.2	89.3	$236,650	$73,602
89	Van Buren County FIPS 19177	63.3	55.3	76.4	35.2	86.1	60.5	88	$181,866	$61,161
90	Decatur County FIPS 19053	63.2	58.2	76.8	40.4	90.1	34.8	88.3	$154,886	$59,044
91	Clayton County FIPS 19043	62.5	58.2	56.7	54.8	88.7	51	88.1	$265,997	$67,242
92	Muscatine County FIPS 19139	62.3	57.3	76.3	46.5	87.4	19.9	90	$195,873	$69,396
93	Webster County FIPS 19187	61.7	60.4	88.2	24.4	89.2	17.2	90.4	$137,618	$68,975
94	Black Hawk County FIPS 19013	60.7	52.5	75.9	44.1	97.4	10.3	81.9	$182,638	$66,417
95	Tama County FIPS 19171	60.7	46.3	81.4	41.7	82.7	35.5	89.8	$171,357	$70,781
96	Jones County FIPS 19105	60.5	56.9	72	62	49.1	40.2	89.1	$236,012	$73,531
97	Montgomery County FIPS 19137	60.1	62.6	85.4	52.7	37.8	23.6	91.5	$142,131	$63,666
98	Wapello County FIPS 19179	59.8	52.1	88.3	24.9	90.4	17.9	87.9	$127,723	$64,766
99	Marshall County FIPS 19127	57.1	39.9	79.8	27.2	88	40.7	90	$189,667	$73,315