2018 Best Places to Live in IowaAbout this List

University Heights

• Town in Iowa

• A+

• A+

• 1,255 Population

Mount Vernon

• Town in Iowa
• 11

Niche User: I love living in Iowa! I have never really liked big cities, so being in a small town in the middle of nowhere is perfect!
Read 11 Reviews

• A+

• A

• 4,487 Population

Waukee

• Suburb of Des Moines, IA
• 19

Current Resident: Great town! The roads are well paved, the people are pretty friendly, kids can get a good education here. However, I do wish there were more things to do. It's basically a town of just houses. There are very few restaurants or various recreational institutions. More businesses would be nice.
Read 19 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• 16,955 Population

Coralville

• Town in Iowa
• 38

Current Resident: I enjoy the atmosphere of Coralville.
On the outskirts of a college town with a lot to do and see but not in the crazy mess when there not need to be the craziness. Hawks fans are the best fans around and everyone is welcoming. Crime late is substantly low, although you are surrounded by high cost living and newer developments that are upping the cost of rent and homes in the area.
Read 38 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• 20,078 Population

West Des Moines

• Town in Iowa
• 89

Former Resident: The people live up to the "Iowa nice" reputation! There are great public schools, as well as options for private. Shopping and dining options have greatly increased over the past ten years. Cost of living and taxes are also lower than most places. My biggest complaints would be 1)the harsh winter weather and 2)the relatively small airport if you enjoy traveling...(though getting through security usually only takes 10 minutes!).
Read 89 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• 61,624 Population

Ames

• Town in Iowa
• 274

Current Resident: Ames is an amazing town to live in! My family and I just moved here, and the community has been incredibly welcoming. It is full of college students that sometimes make it hard to drive, but they are still very helpful. They have a wide variety of restaurants and places to shop. However, there isn't a mall or very many clothing stores. Ames is a great community, and I would definitely recommend it!
Read 274 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• 64,073 Population

Bettendorf

• Town in Iowa
• 57

Current Resident: I've lived in the QCA including Bettendorf for almost 15 years and out of the 4 major 'quad' cities, Bettendorf is the best in almost every aspect. The only down fall is that costs of living isn't cheap compared to the other 3 cities. Aside from prices of housing and other costs of living it is an awesome place to live, grow and prosper! They have great community events, a family museum that keeps it's exhibits fresh, a library that is state of the art, a couple art galleries, a ton of good places to eat, movie theaters and other night life places for adults and college students. Plus they have one of the largest community college campuses in the Midwest! From any age, Bettendorf is a great place to grow up, go to school, have a career and have a great family!
Read 57 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• 35,048 Population

Clive

• Suburb of Des Moines, IA
• 36

Current Resident: Suburban life style, with easy access to anything in the Des Moines area. Commute to major malls are easy, lots of options for public schools, housing price range is decent, and apartments are affordable in the area, plenty of easy access to gas stations, restaurants, and grocery stores. You have all the basics and are within reach of all the extras you could want.
Read 36 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• 17,022 Population

Iowa City

• Town in Iowa
• 244

Current Resident: I have had a phenomenal experience in Iowa City over the past 4 years. Raised in Chicago, standards were high, and leaving the big city prepared me to expect nothing but corn fields and campus. Arriving in "the I.C.", I saw much more than just a campus. Its absolutely beautiful, with many shops, restaurants, and a lovely surrounding neighborhood. Not only upon arrival did it already have these attributes, but since then it has not stopped it's exponential rate of development! Its constant, and spectacular work is being done to the city and buildings. Renovation and construction have made Iowa City even more substantial. Apart from it's structural aspects, the neighborly vibe motivates a student on campus, like myself, to reflect the positivity back on a daily basis. I've never felt so welcomed by strangers in my entire life, and am not surprised by Iowa being credited for having the 'nicest' population. I've fallen in love with Iowa City, and will miss it when I return to Chicago.
Read 244 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• 72,385 Population

Johnston

• Suburb of Des Moines, IA
• 20

Current Resident: Johnston is a very safe place to raise a family. Johnston has a family low crime rate. Johnston community school district offers a safe, top-tier education system for kindergarten through 12th grade. The athletic programs for youth and for the middle/high school do a very great job of incorporating fairness, integrity, respectfulness, showmanship, and a team aspect that makes it feel like a family.
Read 20 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• 19,491 Population

North Liberty

• Town in Iowa
• 39

Current Resident: North Liberty is booming! There are a lot of young families here and new housing, but also older folks and homes still remain. Coralville, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City are all a short drive away. The community is very active and there is always something to do or somewhere to eat. The only thing missing is a leashless dog park. Otherwise, it is a fun and safe place to live.
Read 39 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• 16,984 Population

Orange City

• Town in Iowa
• 17

Current Resident: Orange City is a small town of 6,000 in Northwest Iowa. Don't let that number fool you, though. Orange City has a public elementary and high school, a private elementary and high school, private college, hospital, two retirement homes, fifteen churches and many more. It is bustling with activity, and Dutch heritage. We have the Tulip Festival on the third weekend in May; which showcases Dutch costumes, floats, foods, and many more! The whole town gets involved with putting on the Tulip Festival, and thousands of people from all over the world come to watch our Dutch kids scrub streets, dance, and ride floats. Orange City has been my home all my life, and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. The sense of community and love that emits from this town is unbelievable.
Read 17 Reviews

• A+

• A

• 6,153 Population

Urbandale

• Suburb of Des Moines, IA
• 83

Current Resident: I love Urbandale. My parents moved here when I was almost one year old. We moved into a house in the middle of the town. Most of the schools are within a five mile radius, there are parks and recreational area nearby. We are in the house of Urbandale. The people are amazing, and the schools have been perfect to me. They are the perfect size and I have always been comfortable in these settings.
Read 83 Reviews

• A+

• A

• 41,578 Population

Le Claire

• Town in Iowa
• 1

Current Resident: Excellent. The down town is beautiful. Lots of fun shops and restaurants. Baseball fields and a rec center are open to the public. Has some parks and a skate park. However, there needs to be more sidewalks in the city so children and families can be safe while riding their bikes or walking around the neighborhood.
Read 1 Review

• A+

• A+

• 3,931 Population

Decorah

• Town in Iowa
• 32

Current Resident: Beautiful town, with rich history and friendly people. A very close knit strong community. The academics are outstanding as well as the extracurricular activities, the community is very active within the school. Deborah students strive to help the community in every way possible.
Read 32 Reviews

• A+

• A

• 7,985 Population

Ankeny

• Suburb of Des Moines, IA
• 126

Current Resident: It’s a safe city. You won’t have to worry about much.
People are extremely reserved and proper here.
Expect to keep your outside house looking perfect.
People have what’s called Midwest nice. Google it.
Only 3 pets per household and you have to register your pets otherwise you could be fined.
Keep your cats indoors at all times, roaming animals is frowned upon.
Keep dog poop bags on you at all times, they take animal clean up seriously.
Buying a house is not enough. Once spring hits neighbors are lining up the best home improvement workers and it’s a contest to see who gets the most repairs in. Get to know your neighbors so you have a list of such repair men in demand.
Grow a backyard garden and share with your neighbors, this will gain friends quickly.
Schools are great and overachieving. Very involved with kids and parents!
There’s no animal control so no pound and police pick up strays.
Read 126 Reviews

• A+

• A

• 53,413 Population

Cedar Falls

• Town in Iowa
• 97

Current Resident: There is always something to do here, Main street is always my go-to place when I'm bored. I absolutely LOVE the schools here! All the teachers here love the students and try to help them in any way possible. I have lived here almost my entire life and I have always felt safe.
Read 97 Reviews

• A+

• A

• 40,828 Population

Robins

• Town in Iowa
• 1

Current Resident: I am a senior in high school that has lived in Robins most of their life. It is a quite town, right next to the larger cities of Cedar Rapids and Marion. It's a mostly residential town, with only a couple small businesses, such as a bank and a restaurant. Overall, it's a wonderful place to grow up, with access to both the Linn-Mar and Cedar Rapids school districts.
Read 1 Review

• A

• A

• 3,434 Population

Waverly

• Town in Iowa
• 29

Current Resident: A bit more of an expensive town, but well worth it! A good variety of businesses and a decent sized downtown. Bike trails and dog park...can't go wrong!
Read 29 Reviews

• A

• A

• 10,049 Population

Gilbert

• Town in Iowa
• 3

Current Resident: Gilbert is a small farm town right outside of Ames, Iowa. It has a gas station and a post office and a school system but not much else. It is surrounded by beautiful farm land and has gorgeous sunsets.
Read 3 Reviews

• A

• A+

• 1,183 Population

Pella

• Town in Iowa
• 22

Current Resident: I grew up in Pella most of my childhood. It is a great community. It is large enough that there is everything you could/would ever need, but still has the small town vibe. Des Moines is less than an hour away which is also great for shopping or finding something fun to do. I loved the community because everyone was always so kind and helpful to each other. Something unique about our town is our dutch heritage. Tulip Time is a festival held yearly and it is a great way to bring tourists. There are lots of parades, dutch foods, and dutch attractions to experience. Pella has been a great town to live in and I wouldn't change anything about it. It has been difficult being away from home for college, but a great growing experience. Can't wait till Tulip Time in May this year!
Read 22 Reviews

• A

• A

• 10,280 Population

Windsor Heights

• Suburb of Des Moines, IA
• 7

Current Resident: Great houses, cool events in the park, awesome bike trails, and generally friendly people. We have Hy-Vee, Walmart, and samsclub. The police, fire, and end personal are exceptional as well. Overall a great place to live.
Read 7 Reviews

• A

• A-

• 4,980 Population

Grimes

• Suburb of Des Moines, IA
• 49

Current Resident: I have lived in grimes all of my life, it's really the only place I know. I love this small intimate area just outside of Des Moines. Grimes is only about 20 minutes from Des Moines and is convienetly located within a short drive of any shopping. The thing I love most about Grimes is the people. Grimes is not very diverse when it comes to ethnicities, but the people are wonderful. Grimes is growing rapidly but everyone is still connected if you don't know someone you know someone who knows them. Everyone is connected and that is a wonderful feeling. Our neighbours are true neighbours they will lend you a hand if you need it sometimes before you ask. Your neighbours keep an eye on your property when you're away. This sense of closeness is a wonderful feeling of knowing that our little town is safe. That is Grimes, that is why I love Grimes.
Read 49 Reviews

• A

• A

• 10,422 Population

Asbury

• Town in Iowa
• 6

Parent: It is a small town feel in a moderate sized community. The river and atmosphere of downtown has developed into a tourist area, yet we don't have the crime or crowded feel. The jobs for the future may not hold out. We have john deere, and IBM laying people off. Young entrepreneurs are doing well in the downtown area.
Read 6 Reviews

• A

• A-

• 5,201 Population

Sioux Center

• Town in Iowa
• 16

Current Resident: The nightlife options in a small, rural town, always leave room for improvement, but the college definitely helps. The schools are great, the community is vibrantly alive, and it is overall a great place to live and work!
Read 16 Reviews

• A

• B

• 7,370 Population