countyscore

Cost of Living · Iowa

Most Affordable Counties in Iowa 2026

Ranked by housing affordability including median rent and home values.

Top 10 — Cost of Living in Iowa

Score reflects cost of living only — not overall county quality.

1Franklin County, IA
83.8
2Ida County, IA
82
3Sac County, IA
81.8
4Calhoun County, IA
80.9
5Van Buren County, IA
79.8
6Palo Alto County, IA
79.3
7Audubon County, IA
78.5
8Wayne County, IA
77.9
9Pocahontas County, IA
77.3
10Emmet County, IA
73.6

All Iowa Counties — Cost of Living Rankings

99 counties ranked by cost of living score. Overall Score shown for context.

#CountyCost of Living ScoreOverall Score
1Franklin County, IA
83.8
65.5
2Ida County, IA
82
71.2
3Sac County, IA
81.8
63.9
4Calhoun County, IA
80.9
65.9
5Van Buren County, IA
79.8
60.5
6Palo Alto County, IA
79.3
62.4
7Audubon County, IA
78.5
59.7
8Wayne County, IA
77.9
62.9
9Pocahontas County, IA
77.3
65.2
10Emmet County, IA
73.6
61.6
11Cherokee County, IA
73.4
66.8
12Howard County, IA
72.4
68.1
13Taylor County, IA
71.3
64.2
14Winnebago County, IA
71
68.8
15Union County, IA
70.5
53.6
16Page County, IA
70.2
52.7
17Decatur County, IA
69.5
59.4
18Floyd County, IA
69.2
56.7
19Worth County, IA
68.8
70.4
20Humboldt County, IA
67.9
63.4
21Wright County, IA
66.3
59.7
22Montgomery County, IA
65.7
53.5
23Allamakee County, IA
65.4
60.2
24Carroll County, IA
65.2
61.5
25Monona County, IA
65
59.3
26Cass County, IA
64.2
42.7
27Crawford County, IA
63.1
55.3
28Osceola County, IA
63
65.3
29Lucas County, IA
62.3
55.8
30Mitchell County, IA
62.1
66.2
31Clayton County, IA
62
59.9
32Webster County, IA
61.8
41.6
33Appanoose County, IA
61.5
48.6
34O'Brien County, IA
60.5
61.5
35Chickasaw County, IA
60.2
66.7
36Hancock County, IA
60
61.6
37Adair County, IA
59.1
62.5
38Greene County, IA
59.1
58.4
39Hardin County, IA
57.5
48.1
40Fremont County, IA
57.1
58.6
41Henry County, IA
56
52.5
42Kossuth County, IA
55.6
66.6
43Delaware County, IA
55.4
60.2
44Butler County, IA
54.3
62.1
45Jackson County, IA
54
55.6
46Louisa County, IA
54
61.3
47Keokuk County, IA
53.8
58.5
48Lee County, IA
53.5
42.8
49Monroe County, IA
53.5
59
50Jones County, IA
53
60.7
51Iowa County, IA
52.2
56.6
52Fayette County, IA
51.9
57
53Mahaska County, IA
51.5
51.4
54Clay County, IA
51.3
59.7
55Buchanan County, IA
51.2
62.4
56Ringgold County, IA
51
60.8
57Adams County, IA
50.8
61.1
58Grundy County, IA
49.6
69.1
59Hamilton County, IA
49.5
57.6
60Buena Vista County, IA
48.9
46.7
61Shelby County, IA
48.9
66.5
62Lyon County, IA
48.3
65.1
63Cerro Gordo County, IA
47.8
42.5
64Guthrie County, IA
45.9
60.2
65Tama County, IA
44.8
56.6
66Winneshiek County, IA
44.5
67.8
67Jasper County, IA
43.7
54.1
68Clinton County, IA
43.5
38.6
69Marshall County, IA
43
42
70Wapello County, IA
42.7
33.1
71Plymouth County, IA
42.3
47.3
72Harrison County, IA
41.8
58.5
73Jefferson County, IA
41.8
48.4
74Bremer County, IA
40.5
58.6
75Benton County, IA
40.1
56
76Clarke County, IA
39.6
43.6
77Des Moines County, IA
39.1
34.7
78Boone County, IA
39
57.7
79Davis County, IA
37.8
56
80Poweshiek County, IA
37.5
46.8
81Washington County, IA
37.5
51.6
82Cedar County, IA
36.4
58
83Marion County, IA
35.5
59.2
84Sioux County, IA
34
59.1
85Dickinson County, IA
33
59.1
86Woodbury County, IA
31.9
50.9
87Muscatine County, IA
30.6
41.3
88Black Hawk County, IA
30.4
40.7
89Mills County, IA
30
46.7
90Dubuque County, IA
28.2
45.4
91Linn County, IA
28
40.6
92Pottawattamie County, IA
26.8
36.1
93Scott County, IA
26.1
37.2
94Madison County, IA
23.9
58.6
95Story County, IA
21.3
46.9
96Warren County, IA
21.3
51.7
97Polk County, IA
15.4
36.6
98Johnson County, IA
14.8
41
99Dallas County, IA
9.7
42

Explore More

Best overall counties in IowaFull Cost of Living data on CostByCounty