State relocation profile · Federal data
Iowa
Iowa sits in the cheaper third of BEA RPP states, rent, wages, safety, schools and childcare below.
- 87.8
- Cost index (US=100)
- $988
- 2BR rent / mo
- $68,184
- Median salary
- 60.8
- Life Score
The verdict
As of June 2026, Iowa ranks #6 of 51 scored US states on the composite Life Score (60.8/100, C), with its strongest marks in cost of living and rent.
- #6 of 51
- Life Score among scored states
- 60.8
- Life Score · C
- 87.8
- Cost of living (US=100)
- $68,184
- Median annual salary (BLS)
Weakest dimension: environment (10/100). State-level figures are a benchmark, individual metros can diverge sharply, so weigh each dimension against your own priorities.
According to PlainRelocate's state Life Score composite (BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, and EPA inputs), Iowa ranks #6 of 51 scored US states by Life Score (highest score = #1). Cost-of-living index 87.8 (100 = national average), median 2-bedroom rent $988/mo, median salary $68,184; Life Score 60.8/100 (C), strongest in cost of living and rent.
Signature: BEA RPP 87.8 ranks #3 of 51 states for lower prices (cheaper third of the corpus).
Purchasing power opens up: BEA RPP 87.8 lands in the cheaper third of US states (cuts at 93.3 / 100.7). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent averages $988/mo statewide, against a BLS median salary of $68,184.
Composite Life Score 60.8/100 (C) puts Iowa in the top third (#6 of 51).
Metro book is dense (8 MSAs); drill a named metro before treating the state average as a destination.
Life Score plate
Sheet IA · Iowa 60.8/100 · C · #6 of 51
LIFE-C · RANK-TOP · PHOTO-FINISH · RPP-CHEAP · LEAD-COST · BOOK-FULL
- LIFE-C Life Score C
- RANK-TOP #6/51
- PHOTO-FINISH ±0.1 pts
- RPP-CHEAP RPP 87.8
- LEAD-COST Lead · cost of living
- BOOK-FULL 7/7 dims
Nearest Life Score peer: Kentucky (+ 0.1 pts)
Instrument codes from this state’s Life Score grade, corpus rank, peer gap, BEA RPP posture, lead dimension, and dimension book, not a moving recommendation.
Life Score neighbourhood around Iowa
Lowest/highest poles plus states nearest Iowa on composite Life Score. Full ladder: /rankings/.
Iowa childcare costs
DOL state-average center rates for Iowa (infant $8,306/yr leads the book).
Iowa Life Score breakdown
Iowa composites to 60.8/100 (C) across 7 of 7 dimensions; corpus place #6 of 51.
Iowa - Life Score dimensions
Percentile vs all US states (100 = best in the nation for that dimension)
- Cost of living
Cost of living
96 /100
- Rent
Rent
84 /100
- Childcare
Childcare
73 /100
- Safety
Safety
62 /100
- Schools
Schools
58 /100
- Wages 28
Wages
28 /100
- Environment 10
Environment
10 /100
What this shows Iowa's strongest dimensions are cost of living and rent; its weakest among scored dims is environment at 10/100. Each dimension is a federal-data percentile; the composite folds 7 of 7 into one comparable figure.
States near Iowa on cost or Life Score
Nearest neighbors to Iowa on BEA RPP or composite Life Score, a different lens than the in-state metro list below.
Similar cost of living (BEA RPP)
Metros in Iowa
Explore detailed relocation data for 8 metropolitan areas in Iowa. Iowa contains 8 metropolitan statistical areas in our dataset - Ames, Cedar Rapids, Davenport-Moline-Rock Island and more - each with its own rent, wage and crime profile that can diverge sharply from the statewide average.
Ames metro · Compare metros · Cost vs quality · Methodology
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026
Iowa cost figures follow BEA Regional Price Parities and HUD Fair Market Rents; Iowa wages and safety follow BLS OEWS and FBI UCR. Research use only, verify at the agency source before you move.