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Best places to live in Iowa

457 places and 2,399,911 residents in Iowa, United States, ranked for 29 household profiles. Local data: official statistics on affordability, green space, education and family, health and elderly, jobs and economy, lifestyle and amenities, mobility and connectivity and safety and community (local or regional figures, sources on every place page) plus population and geography.

10#10 Davenport (Iowa)9#9 Indianola (Iowa)8#8 Norwalk (Iowa)7#7 Bettendorf6#6 Carlisle (Iowa)5#5 Urbandale4#4 Robins3#3 Cedar Rapids2#2 Waukee1#1 Marion (Iowa)
Young family fit across Iowa, one dot per place; numbers mark the top 10.weakerbest fit not ranked

Rank Iowa for your household

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For young families

  1. 1Marion (Iowa)
    Iowa, 37,330 residents    78
  2. 2Waukee
    Iowa, 18,990 residents    76
  3. 3Cedar Rapids
    Iowa, 130,405 residents    73
  4. 4Robins
    Iowa, 3,454 residents    72
  5. 5Urbandale
    Iowa, 44,062 residents    72
  6. 6Carlisle (Iowa)
    Iowa, 4,168 residents    71
  7. 7Bettendorf
    Iowa, 35,505 residents    71
  8. 8Norwalk (Iowa)
    Iowa, 10,135 residents    71
  9. 9Indianola (Iowa)
    Iowa, 15,467 residents    70
  10. 10Davenport (Iowa)
    Iowa, 102,582 residents    70

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For retired couples

  1. 1Urbandale
    Iowa, 44,062 residents    69
  2. 2Marion (Iowa)
    Iowa, 37,330 residents    68
  3. 3Waukee
    Iowa, 18,990 residents    67
  4. 4North Liberty (Iowa)
    Iowa, 15,931 residents    67
  5. 5Ankeny
    Iowa, 56,764 residents    67
  6. 6Johnston (Iowa)
    Iowa, 20,871 residents    66
  7. 7Ames (Iowa)
    Iowa, 65,060 residents    66
  8. 8Grimes (Iowa)
    Iowa, 10,676 residents    66
  9. 9Dubuque
    Iowa, 58,799 residents    66
  10. 10Boone (Iowa)
    Iowa, 12,692 residents    65

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For remote workers

  1. 1Marion (Iowa)
    Iowa, 37,330 residents    74
  2. 2Urbandale
    Iowa, 44,062 residents    73
  3. 3Ankeny
    Iowa, 56,764 residents    72
  4. 4Johnston (Iowa)
    Iowa, 20,871 residents    71
  5. 5Grimes (Iowa)
    Iowa, 10,676 residents    70
  6. 6Cedar Rapids
    Iowa, 130,405 residents    69
  7. 7Clive
    Iowa, 15,447 residents    69
  8. 8Davenport (Iowa)
    Iowa, 102,582 residents    69
  9. 9Pleasant Hill (Iowa)
    Iowa, 9,314 residents    68
  10. 10Cedar Falls
    Iowa, 41,255 residents    66

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For commuters

  1. 1Des Moines (Iowa)
    Iowa, 214,133 residents    83
  2. 2Cedar Rapids
    Iowa, 130,405 residents    81
  3. 3West Des Moines
    Iowa, 64,113 residents    80
  4. 4Davenport (Iowa)
    Iowa, 102,582 residents    80
  5. 5Council Bluffs
    Iowa, 62,597 residents    80
  6. 6Urbandale
    Iowa, 44,062 residents    79
  7. 7Marion (Iowa)
    Iowa, 37,330 residents    78
  8. 8Bettendorf
    Iowa, 35,505 residents    78
  9. 9Carter Lake
    Iowa, 3,791 residents    75
  10. 10Pleasant Hill (Iowa)
    Iowa, 9,314 residents    75

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For single professionals

  1. 1Des Moines (Iowa)
    Iowa, 214,133 residents    73
  2. 2West Des Moines
    Iowa, 64,113 residents    69
  3. 3Cedar Rapids
    Iowa, 130,405 residents    68
  4. 4Council Bluffs
    Iowa, 62,597 residents    67
  5. 5Urbandale
    Iowa, 44,062 residents    67
  6. 6Davenport (Iowa)
    Iowa, 102,582 residents    66
  7. 7Bettendorf
    Iowa, 35,505 residents    61
  8. 8Marion (Iowa)
    Iowa, 37,330 residents    61
  9. 9Clive
    Iowa, 15,447 residents    61
  10. 10Pleasant Hill (Iowa)
    Iowa, 9,314 residents    59

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For movers on a budget

  1. 1Marion (Iowa)
    Iowa, 37,330 residents    70
  2. 2Cedar Rapids
    Iowa, 130,405 residents    68
  3. 3Bettendorf
    Iowa, 35,505 residents    68
  4. 4Boone (Iowa)
    Iowa, 12,692 residents    68
  5. 5Council Bluffs
    Iowa, 62,597 residents    68
  6. 6Urbandale
    Iowa, 44,062 residents    67
  7. 7West Des Moines
    Iowa, 64,113 residents    66
  8. 8Johnston (Iowa)
    Iowa, 20,871 residents    65
  9. 9Norwalk (Iowa)
    Iowa, 10,135 residents    65
  10. 10Centerville (Iowa, 5,745 residents)
    Iowa, 5,745 residents    65

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All profiles in Iowa

ProfileTop placeScorePlaces that pass
Young familyMarion (Iowa)78102
Low-income householdMarion (Iowa)74120
Low-income familyMarion (Iowa)7953
Single parentMarion (Iowa)8137
Pensioner coupleUrbandale6969
Single pensionerUrbandale7469
Early retireeAmes (Iowa)68138
Single professionalDes Moines (Iowa)7323
Young professionalDes Moines (Iowa)7625
DINKSDes Moines (Iowa)7418
Remote workerMarion (Iowa)7483
CommuterDes Moines (Iowa)8346
Car-free householdDes Moines (Iowa)7722
StudentDavenport (Iowa)8312
First-home buyerMarion (Iowa)7753
Budget-constrained moverMarion (Iowa)70165
Urban lifestyle seekerDes Moines (Iowa)7221
Expat professionalDes Moines (Iowa)7483
Healthcare-first moverUrbandale7669
Nature-focused householdHawarden72353
Cross-border commuter–0
Outdoor and mountain loverPella43283
Rural value seekerManly74353
High-net-worth moverUrbandale74283
Lottery winnerDes Moines (Iowa)80457
Climate-resilient relocationUrbandale76165
Coastal livingPella7415
Business ownerWest Des Moines76165
Digital nativeDes Moines (Iowa)7427

Towns of 30,000+ in Iowa