Best Counties in Iowa — 2026 Rankings
99 of 99 counties scored across 12 dimensions
99
99 scored
56/100
composite score
69.7/100
34.3—69.7
lowest to highest
State Overview
Understanding County Scores in Iowa
Iowa Outperforms the National Average for Livability
Iowa maintains a composite livability score of 55.6, placing it well above the national median of 50.0. This performance reflects high standards of living across its 99 counties, nearly all of which provide robust data for comparison.
Exceptional Health and Strong Economic Fundamentals
The state excels with an impressive health score of 78.5, significantly boosting its overall ranking. Residents also benefit from a high income score of 62.8 and a risk score of 60.3, indicating a stable and secure environment.
High Tax Burdens Offset Living Affordability
Iowa's tax score of 20.0 is its primary weakness, suggesting a fiscal environment that is less friendly than many national competitors. While the cost score of 52.1 remains slightly better than average, the high tax rate acts as a persistent drag on the state's total score.
Ida, Worth, and Grundy Lead the Rankings
Ida County takes the top spot with a 71.2 composite score, driven by an exceptional affordability rating of 82.0. Worth County follows at 70.4 with a strong income score of 79.8, while Grundy County ranks third at 69.1 due to its high earning potential.
A Reliable Choice for Health-Conscious Families
Iowa is an excellent fit for families and professionals who prioritize public health and income stability over low tax rates. The state offers a balanced lifestyle where economic security and physical well-being outweigh the higher fiscal costs.
All County Rankings in Iowa
Search, sort, and filter all 99 ranked counties
Showing 1–25 of 99 counties
| Rank | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ida County | 69.7 | 25.6 | 81.8 | 43.1 | 84.6 | 83.4 | 71.1 | 81.7 | 86 | 48.2 | 78.3 | 72.8 | |
| 2 | Winnebago County | 69.2 | 18.1 | 71.7 | 56.3 | 97.5 | 90 | 63.6 | 69.4 | 86 | 48 | 87.6 | 81.2 | |
| 3 | Worth County | 69.2 | 29 | 65.5 | 78.6 | 85 | 88.2 | 65.7 | 90.2 | 86 | 50.1 | 82.2 | 78.8 | |
| 4 | Chickasaw County | 68.7 | 34 | 68 | 74.7 | 85.6 | 82.1 | 75.7 | 68.3 | 41.8 | 48.4 | 65.9 | 78.8 | |
| 5 | Howard County | 68.2 | 21.3 | 73.3 | 55.8 | 84.1 | 76.4 | 78.7 | 84.4 | 86 | 49.5 | 72.8 | 79.2 | |
| 6 | Grundy County | 68.1 | 26.3 | 49.9 | 88.4 | 88 | 93.5 | 70.7 | 86.9 | 86 | 50.4 | 74 | 80.6 | |
| 7 | Shelby County | 68 | 20 | 56.2 | 68.3 | 97.5 | 81.9 | 76.2 | 77.3 | 86 | 49.4 | 76.9 | 79.5 | |
| 8 | Mitchell County | 67.3 | 29.1 | 66 | 65.1 | 83.3 | 81.6 | 73.2 | 62.3 | 86 | 50.5 | 69.3 | 80.9 | |
| 9 | Winneshiek County | 67.2 | 27.8 | 40.2 | 80.3 | 87.4 | 98.2 | 80.4 | 63.8 | 86 | 52.8 | 74.6 | 83.8 | |
| 10 | Cherokee County | 67.1 | 36.8 | 68.8 | 64.6 | 82.5 | 81.6 | 61.8 | 65.9 | 86 | 45.1 | 79.2 | 65.3 | |
| 11 | Kossuth County | 66.9 | 35.3 | 55.8 | 56.6 | 88.8 | 83.3 | 71 | 67.8 | 86 | 46.9 | 75.4 | 75.1 | |
| 12 | Calhoun County | 64.6 | 18.2 | 78.9 | 48 | 89 | 82.8 | 63 | 55.5 | 11.2 | 49.5 | 75.9 | 78 | |
| 13 | Lyon County | 64.5 | 45.5 | 43.7 | 76.5 | 71.1 | 92.2 | 66.8 | 80.8 | 86 | 42.3 | 78 | 56.2 | |
| 14 | Osceola County | 64.3 | 26.9 | 64.7 | 60 | 85.7 | 71 | 60.9 | 85.2 | 86 | 47.3 | 77.2 | 71.8 | |
| 15 | Franklin County | 63.9 | 18.4 | 80.5 | 33.4 | 83.5 | 60 | 70.3 | 78.1 | 86 | 48.7 | 77 | 80.1 | |
| 16 | Humboldt County | 63.7 | 19.3 | 69.2 | 66.6 | 75 | 81 | 62 | 75.9 | 86 | 54 | 78.3 | 83.3 | |
| 17 | Louisa County | 63.1 | 25 | 62.4 | 77.6 | 77.8 | 70.5 | 63.3 | 82.6 | 86 | 49.4 | 66.5 | 78 | |
| 18 | Pocahontas County | 63 | 26.9 | 70.3 | 39.3 | 85.6 | 71.8 | 66.3 | 67 | 37.5 | 44.8 | 73.3 | 70 | |
| 19 | Palo Alto County | 62.7 | 23.5 | 79.9 | 68.6 | 71.4 | 82 | 53.2 | 84.6 | 13.1 | 47.7 | 79.7 | 73.9 | |
| 20 | Wayne County | 62.5 | 16.5 | 77.1 | 39.7 | 80.6 | 63.7 | 64.7 | 78 | 86 | 51.7 | 69.8 | 84.1 | |
| 21 | Butler County | 62.2 | 16.9 | 54.4 | 70.2 | 92.1 | 91.4 | 52.1 | 72.9 | 32.4 | 49.3 | 71.9 | 79.9 | |
| 22 | Hancock County | 62.2 | 24.1 | 65.3 | 63.2 | 76 | 82.8 | 61.8 | 71.2 | 36.4 | 49.9 | 81.8 | 79.5 | |
| 23 | Sac County | 62.1 | 28.7 | 77.8 | 70.5 | 52.8 | 83.1 | 71.9 | 72.7 | 17.6 | 47.5 | 85.1 | 75.2 | |
| 24 | Taylor County | 62.1 | 20.7 | 64.8 | 56.7 | 85.8 | 68.4 | 61.8 | 61.5 | 86 | 48.4 | 76.7 | 81.4 | |
| 25 | Adams County | 61.9 | 20.9 | 54.9 | 66.4 | 88.6 | 83.5 | 46.1 | 79.7 | 86 | 50.3 | 77.6 | 74.6 |
Ida County
Winnebago County
Worth County
Chickasaw County
Howard County
Grundy County
Shelby County
Mitchell County
Winneshiek County
Cherokee County
Kossuth County
Calhoun County
Lyon County
Osceola County
Franklin County
Humboldt County
Louisa County
Pocahontas County
Palo Alto County
Wayne County
Butler County
Hancock County
Sac County
Taylor County
Adams County
Frequently Asked Questions about Counties in Iowa
Common questions about county rankings and scores in Iowa.
What is the best county in Iowa?
Ida County is the top-ranked county in Iowa with a CountyScore of 69.7/100. It leads the state across the available scoring dimensions, which include Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, Water Quality, Weather & Climate.
How many counties are ranked in Iowa?
Iowa has 99 counties in total. Of those, 99 have been ranked with a composite score based on available data dimensions. The remaining 0 counties do not yet have enough data for a full score.
What factors determine a county's score?
Each county is scored 0–100 across up to nine baseline data dimensions: Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, Water Quality, and Weather & Climate. The composite score is a weighted average of whichever baseline dimensions have data. Currently available baseline dimensions are: Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, Water Quality, Weather & Climate. Higher scores are always better — a score of 100 represents the best possible performance for that dimension.
What is the average county score in Iowa?
The average composite CountyScore across all ranked counties in Iowa is 56/100. The national average is 50/100, so Iowa counties score 6 points above the national average.
How does Iowa compare to other states?
Iowa's average county score of 56/100 is 6 points above the national average of 50/100. You can compare Iowa counties to counties in any other state using the county detail pages or the CountyScore compare tool.
Explore County Data by Category
Dive deeper into specific dimensions for counties in Iowa.
Best counties in other states
Data: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, FBI UCR, CDC, FEMA NRI, NCES, EPA SDWIS, 2019–2023 ACS — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.