countyscore

Best Counties for Families in Iowa 2026

99 counties ranked with the Family lens of the County Fit Score.

Top 5 Family Counties in Iowa

1Winneshiek County
74.4
baseline 67.9
2Grundy County
74.3
baseline 69.1
3Worth County
73.9
baseline 70.4
4Howard County
73.6
baseline 68.1
5Ida County
73.4
baseline 71.2

All 99 Family-Ranked Counties in Iowa

RankCountyCounty Fit Scorebaseline CountyScoreDelta
1Winneshiek County, IA74.467.9+6.5
2Grundy County, IA74.369.1+5.2
3Worth County, IA73.970.4+3.5
4Howard County, IA73.668.1+5.5
5Ida County, IA73.471.2+2.2
6Chickasaw County, IA73.366.7+6.6
7Shelby County, IA72.966.5+6.4
8Winnebago County, IA72.368.8+3.5
9Calhoun County, IA71.265.9+5.3
10Mitchell County, IA70.766.2+4.5
11Kossuth County, IA70.566.6+3.9
12Franklin County, IA69.665.5+4.1
13Pocahontas County, IA69.465.2+4.2
14Cherokee County, IA68.466.8+1.6
15Osceola County, IA68.265.3+2.9
16Guthrie County, IA6860.2+7.8
17Lyon County, IA67.865.1+2.7
18Sac County, IA67.863.9+3.9
19Buchanan County, IA67.662.4+5.2
20Taylor County, IA67.464.2+3.2
21Butler County, IA66.962.1+4.8
22Emmet County, IA66.661.6+5
23Louisa County, IA66.561.3+5.2
24Carroll County, IA66.461.5+4.9
25Hancock County, IA66.261.6+4.6
26Humboldt County, IA66.263.4+2.8
27Madison County, IA6658.6+7.4
28Adair County, IA65.862.5+3.3
29Palo Alto County, IA65.862.4+3.4
30Ringgold County, IA65.860.8+5
31Boone County, IA65.657.8+7.8
32Wayne County, IA65.562.9+2.6
33Delaware County, IA65.460.2+5.2
34Jones County, IA65.360.7+4.6
35Marion County, IA64.959.2+5.7
36Davis County, IA64.856+8.8
37Harrison County, IA64.858.5+6.3
38Monroe County, IA64.559.1+5.4
39Bremer County, IA64.458.6+5.8
40Decatur County, IA64.259.4+4.8
41Dickinson County, IA64.159.1+5
42O'Brien County, IA6461.5+2.5
43Clay County, IA63.359.7+3.6
44Adams County, IA63.261.1+2.1
45Allamakee County, IA63.260.2+3
46Iowa County, IA63.156.6+6.5
47Sioux County, IA62.959.1+3.8
48Wright County, IA62.759.7+3
49Cedar County, IA62.658+4.6
50Fremont County, IA62.658.7+3.9
51Monona County, IA62.659.3+3.3
52Hamilton County, IA62.257.6+4.6
53Keokuk County, IA6258.5+3.5
54Tama County, IA61.456.6+4.8
55Benton County, IA61.156+5.1
56Clayton County, IA60.759.9+0.8
57Van Buren County, IA6060.6-0.6
58Fayette County, IA59.857+2.8
59Lucas County, IA59.855.8+4
60Greene County, IA59.158.4+0.7
61Jackson County, IA59.155.6+3.5
62Crawford County, IA57.855.3+2.5
63Union County, IA57.853.6+4.2
64Warren County, IA57.751.7+6
65Jasper County, IA57.454.1+3.3
66Audubon County, IA57.359.7-2.4
67Woodbury County, IA57.250.9+6.3
68Montgomery County, IA57.153.5+3.6
69Floyd County, IA5756.7+0.3
70Washington County, IA56.751.6+5.1
71Henry County, IA55.352.5+2.8
72Page County, IA54.352.7+1.6
73Mahaska County, IA53.251.4+1.8
74Mills County, IA52.746.7+6
75Story County, IA52.246.9+5.3
76Jefferson County, IA51.648.4+3.2
77Poweshiek County, IA51.146.8+4.3
78Hardin County, IA50.248.1+2.1
79Plymouth County, IA49.447.4+2
80Clarke County, IA49.343.7+5.6
81Dubuque County, IA48.545.4+3.1
82Appanoose County, IA48.248.6-0.4
83Johnson County, IA47.941.1+6.8
84Dallas County, IA47.442+5.4
85Linn County, IA45.240.7+4.5
86Buena Vista County, IA4546.7-1.7
87Marshall County, IA44.842+2.8
88Cerro Gordo County, IA43.742.5+1.2
89Cass County, IA43.442.7+0.7
90Black Hawk County, IA43.340.7+2.6
91Lee County, IA43.242.8+0.4
92Webster County, IA42.841.6+1.2
93Muscatine County, IA41.741.3+0.4
94Polk County, IA41.236.6+4.6
95Scott County, IA40.137.2+2.9
96Pottawattamie County, IA39.536.1+3.4
97Clinton County, IA38.938.7+0.2
98Des Moines County, IA33.534.7-1.2
99Wapello County, IA32.833.1-0.3

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best county for families in Iowa?

Based on the Family lens, Winneshiek County ranks as the top family county in Iowa with a County Fit Score of 74.4. The baseline CountyScore remains visible for context.

How many counties in Iowa are ranked for families?

We rank 99 counties in Iowa with the Family lens, using independent importance values for schools, safety, affordability, health, income, taxes, and disaster risk.

Also Browse Iowa Counties For

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Family Rankings by State

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Data: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, FBI UCR, CDC, FEMA NRI, NCES, EPA SDWIS, 2019-2023 ACS — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.