Iowa cities
Iowa's largest cities ranked on cost, safety, schools, jobs and quality of life. Ankeny leads the list.
We scored Iowa's cities on the same factors as our state rankings, then ranked them. Below are the 10 largest by population. Two scores per city: value (what you get for the cost) and overall livability (everything combined). Tap any city for its full profile.
| # | City | Median home | Rent | Value | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ankeny | $248,400 | $1,153 | 59 | 78 |
| 12 | Cedar Rapids | $149,000 | $836 | 58 | 57 |
| 14 | Council Bluffs | $131,000 | $884 | 56 | 51 |
| 15 | West Des Moines | $239,200 | $1,062 | 45 | 50 |
| 16 | Ames | $222,900 | $972 | 24 | 47 |
| 24 | Davenport | $138,000 | $815 | 40 | 36 |
| 25 | Des Moines | $149,700 | $916 | 34 | 34 |
| 26 | Sioux City | $130,500 | $836 | 48 | 30 |
| 28 | Iowa City | $230,700 | $1,030 | 17 | 28 |
| 30 | Waterloo | $122,300 | $803 | 31 | 16 |
See what you'd need to earn to live the same way somewhere else.
Open the salary calculator ›‹ Back to the Iowa state profile