Is Iowa Affordable?
What the data says about the cost of living in Iowa — and how it compares.
The Bottom Line
Iowa is more expensive than the national average when it comes to day-to-day expenses. 87.71% of residents say their household expenses are difficult to handle, compared to 80.39% nationally. Meanwhile, 5.32% of renters are behind on payments — lower than the national rate of 8.6%. The median rent in Iowa sits at $860/month.
What This Means for Residents
When we look at the full picture in Iowa, affordability goes beyond just rent. With 4.13% of residents lacking health insurance (below the 7.67% national average), unexpected medical costs can tip the balance for many households.
Employment tells part of the story too: 55.32% of respondents are currently employed, falling below the national rate of 56.85%. But being employed doesn't necessarily mean comfortable — the 87.71% expense difficulty rate suggests many working families still feel the squeeze.
Interestingly, Iowa has higher-than-average AI adoption at 30.43%, which may reflect a tech-forward workforce seeking productivity gains in a challenging economic environment.
Iowa at a Glance
About This Data
Census HTOPS data is reported at the Census Division level. Metrics for Iowa reflect the West North Central division. Supplemental rent and unemployment data come from the American Community Survey (via FRED) and Bureau of Labor Statistics respectively.