Advantages & Disadvantages of Moving to Iowa

You think about moving to Iowa but want to get additional information about overall quality of life, living costs, housing, safety, entertainment, nightlife, public infrastructure and much more before making your final decision in this regard?

Great! Stick with me since I will show you the pros and cons of living in Iowa in the following chapters.

Living in Iowa – Overview

Advantages of Living in Iowa

1. Rents are pretty low in most parts of Iowa
2. Property prices in Iowa are still affordable for the general public
3. Easy to find a decent place to stay within a reasonable period of time
4. Living costs in Iowa are moderately low
5. People don’t have to make lots of money to afford a decent lifestyle
6. Overall financial pressure for people living in Iowa is pretty low
7. Most people in Iowa are rather relaxed
8. People in Iowa are often not as career-focused as in many other states
9. You will find many people helping you out
10. Easy to socialize in the big cities of Iowa
11. Most people in Iowa are genuine and honest
12. You can make many friends for a lifetime in Iowa
13. Iowa is surrounded by interesting nature
14. People in Iowa can spend lots of time outdoors
15. You can exercise in a natural manner in Iowa
16. You can do many free things in Iowa
17. You can live a pretty original life in Iowa
18. You may be able to live a self-sufficient lifestyle in Iowa
19. Moving to Iowa may make sense if you don’t like big city life
20. Traffic is not a big problem in Iowa yet
21. Finding a parking lot is pretty easy in Iowa
22. Iowa is not the most hectic place
23. You have lots of space in public for yourself
24. You can enjoy warm and sunny summers in Iowa
25. Cold winters make your life in Iowa more interesting
26. Pretty decent air quality in many regions of Iowa
27. Many people in Iowa are still able to live the American dream
28. You can find yourself by moving to Iowa
29. You may be able to save lots of money for retirement
30. Iowa is a rather safe state apart from the big cities
31. Iowa is a rather pet-friendly place
32. You can experience cultural diversity in the big cities of Iowa
33. Iowa may be an interesting place for property investors
34. Decent supply of material goods in Iowa
35. Rather low unemployment rate in Iowa
36. Highly-qualified people often find decent jobs rather quickly
37. Social problems in Iowa are not as severe as in many other states
38. Iowa may still be underrated
39. Iowa may be an interesting place to retire

Rents are pretty low in most parts of Iowa

One advantage of living in Iowa is that rents are still pretty low compared to national average and this means that you don’t have to spend a big fraction of your income on housing and will still have enough money left to spend on other important and nice things of life.

Property prices in Iowa are still affordable for the general public

Not only rents are pretty affordable, but also homebuyers are often pretty happy in the Iowa region since they find many affordable properties to buy without having to overcommit themselves as people moving to San Francisco and other much more expensive places often have to do when it comes to buying a home.

Easy to find a decent place to stay within a reasonable period of time

Since competition in the Iowa housing market is rather low, you will also be able to buy or rent a decent place within a reasonable period of time since you will not have to compete with many other bidders or prospective tenants and can find your dream home rather soon after moving to Iowa.

Living costs in Iowa are moderately low

Another upside to living in Iowa is that also living costs are rather low and this means that you don’t have to spend as much money on leisure activities, drinks or many other things as people moving to NYC or other much more expensive regions and you will therefore be able to afford much more for the same budget.

People don’t have to make lots of money to afford a decent lifestyle

Since living and housing costs are rather low, you also don’t have to make really good money from your job to afford a decent lifestyle and may therefore also have to work far fewer hours compared to people moving to San José or other much more expensive regions where people often have to work many extra hours to afford a decent lifestyle.

Overall financial pressure for people living in Iowa is pretty low

Thanks to low living and housing costs, also overall financial pressure for people living in Iowa is rather low and you may therefore be less likely to suffer from mental problems related to financial issues compared to people living in much more expensive regions in the US.

Most people in Iowa are rather relaxed

Another benefit of living in Iowa is that most people are also rather relaxed since they often don’t have to worry about financial problems as much as in other regions and may therefore just sleep much better and may have more positive energy in general.

People in Iowa are often not as career-focused as in many other states

You should also keep in mind that many people in Iowa are just not as career-focused as people in other states and this means that people in Iowa will often take more time socializing with you and don’t just rush from one meeting to the other all day long.

You will find many people helping you out

Most people in Iowa are also pretty helpful and in case you are new to this region and need support and assistance on various occasions of life, chances are that you will find more than enough people helping you out so you can become a valued member of society rather quickly.

Easy to socialize in the big cities of Iowa

Since people in Iowa are often friendly and open to new things, you will also have a rather easy time socializing in the big cities of Iowa where you can meet many interesting people and can just have a great time so you don’t have to worry about getting socially isolated.

Most people in Iowa are genuine and honest

You should also know that many people in Iowa are honest and real and while you might not like this at first since it may reveal unpleasant truth about yourself, you may really appreciate it in the long run since the more honest people are, the most trustworthy they usually are as well and you may therefore be able to really rely on your friends in Iowa.

You can make many friends for a lifetime in Iowa

Since many people in Iowa are genuine and real, you can just find many great guys and gals in this region and may be able to make friends for a lifetime who will support you even during the darkest times of your life.

Iowa is surrounded by interesting nature

You should also not forget that Iowa has many nice lakes, rivers and forests and you can therefore spend lots of time in those nature reserves and relax and reload your batteries for the stressful times that may be yet to come.

People in Iowa can spend lots of time outdoors

Since there are so many nice things to do in nature, you can also spend lots of time outdoors and can get lots of fresh air and oxygen so your body and your brain can work in the best possible manner while you can still have a great time with your loved ones.

You can exercise in a natural manner in Iowa

Since you can spend lots of time fishing, camping and on other activities outdoors, you can also exercise in a pretty natural manner in this region and you may just stay fit in a playful manner while many other people who are not surrounded by beautiful nature may have to go to the gym on a regular basis to stay fit in the long run.

You can do many free things in Iowa

Another advantage of moving to Iowa is that there are just so many free things to do in nature and you therefore don’t need lots of money to live a decent lifestyle while many other people living in more urban regions may need far money to spend on leisure activities.

You can live a pretty original life in Iowa

Since Iowa is surrounded by interesting nature, you can also live a pretty original lifestyle.

For instance, you can forage for food, go fishing and do many other things our ancestors have already done for thousands of years and you can therefore preserve those noble traditions.

You may be able to live a self-sufficient lifestyle in Iowa

If you want to take it one step further, you may also be able to live a self-sufficient life in Iowa since property prices are pretty low and you may therefore just want to buy a big piece of land where you can grow all sorts of fruits and veggies and raise farm animals so you no longer have to rely on conventional stores to get most things you need in the long run.

Moving to Iowa may make sense if you don’t like big city life

If you don’t like big city life and rather want to live in a quiet and natural environment, moving to Iowa may also make quite a lot of sense for you since you will just find many nice nature reserves where you can live in line with natural processes without getting distracted by loud car noises or annoying people as would often be the case in the big cities.

Traffic is not a big problem in Iowa yet

Another upside to moving to Iowa is that traffic is not a big problem yet and you will therefore not get stuck in traffic as much as people living in San Diego or other more congested places so you will have more time to spend on nicer and more productive things instead.

Finding a parking lot is pretty easy in Iowa

You should also know that thanks to rather low traffic, finding a parking lot in most parts of Iowa is not a big problem at all and you will have almost freedom of choice regarding where you want to park your car and often don’t have to spend lots of time or money in this regard.

Iowa is not the most hectic place

You should also know that Iowa is a rather laid-back place where people are not in the same rush as in many other more urban states and this gives you the opportunity to live your life in a pretty relaxed manner and you may also be better able to figure out your strengths since you will not always get distracted but will have enough time to spend with yourself.

You have lots of space in public for yourself

Another benefit of moving to Iowa is that it is also not the most crowded state and you will therefore have more than enough space for yourself in public where you can hang out and think about your life without getting distracted by other people during times you just want to be on your own and don’t need distraction of any sort.

You can enjoy warm and sunny summers in Iowa

People in Iowa can also enjoy warm and sunny summers and not only can you get tanned during those nice summer days but you may also get into a pretty good mood.

Cold winters make your life in Iowa more interesting

Not only can you enjoy nice warm summers, but you can also experience rather cool winters and while some people just don’t like cold weather, others love it since they love the snow and if you belong to the second group of people, you can enjoy many great winters going skiing or doing other winter sports so you can really enjoy the different seasons in Iowa.

Pretty decent air quality in many regions of Iowa

You should also know that outside of the big cities, air quality in Iowa is often pretty decent which may be great since you may be at lower risk of suffering from serious pulmonary problems compared to people living in regions where air pollution is a much bigger problem.

Many people in Iowa are still able to live the American dream

Thanks to rather low living and housing costs, many people in the US are still able to live the American dream including owning a nice home, a fancy car and so on while people living in Washington D.C. or other much more expensive places are often no longer able to enjoy this luxury.

You can find yourself by moving to Iowa

Moving to Iowa also enables you to really figure out what you are all about since it is a pretty quiet place where you will not often get distracted but can really focus on yourself and what you want in life so you can grow in character and can do what you really love in the long run.

You may be able to save lots of money for retirement

Since you don’t have to spend lots of money on housing or many other important things, you may also be able to save a significant fraction of your income for retirement so you may not be at the same great risk of suffering from old-age poverty as people in much more expensive regions who are often able to save far less.

Iowa is a rather safe state apart from the big cities

You should also know that Iowa is a rather safe place outside of the big cities and you may therefore be able to raise your kids in a pretty peaceful atmosphere so they can really enjoy their childhood and may not be confronted with unpleasant things they would often see in more urban regions.

Iowa is a rather pet-friendly place

Moving to Iowa may also make quite a lot of sense in case you love pets since there will be many dog owners whom you will meet when walking down the streets with your dog and you can therefore get into conversations with people in a pretty playful manner and may be able to meet many like-minded people in the long run.

You can experience cultural diversity in the big cities of Iowa

As long as you stay in the big cities of Iowa, you will also find many different cultural influences and can hang out with interesting people from many different regions so you can have many interesting conversations and may be able to really grow in character in the long run.

Iowa may be an interesting place for property investors

Since Iowa is a rather landlord-friendly state and rental yields are pretty high in most regions, it may also be an interesting place to move to for property investors who want to build a solid positive cash flow rather quickly and may want to live off their returns sooner or later.

Decent supply of material goods in Iowa

In many regions of Iowa, you will also have a pretty decent supply of material goods and therefore don’t have to worry that you might run out of important material goods anytime soon.

Rather low unemployment rate in Iowa

You should also be aware of the fact that unemployment rate in Iowa is rather low compared to the rest of the US and if you have solid education, you will often not have to worry about losing your job anytime soon and may also find a new job rather quickly.

Highly-qualified people often find decent jobs rather quickly

Especially if you are highly-qualified and have valuable skills needed in the job market right now, you will also almost have freedom of choice regarding whom you want to work for, at least in the urban parts of Iowa where you will find some really big corporations to work for.

Social problems in Iowa are not as severe as in many other states

While overall level of inequality is about to get worse, Iowa is still a state where social inequality is often not as severe as in many other regions and it is therefore still a rather safe state where social problems are rather limited.

Iowa may still be underrated

Since there are many nice things to do in nature and living and housing costs are still pretty low, Iowa may still be an underrated state and by moving to Iowa right now, you may be able to get lots of value for a rather limited budget while this may no longer be true a few decades ago when Iowa may become increasingly popular and many people may want to move to this region.

Iowa may be an interesting place to retire

Since there are many free things to do in nature and living and housing costs are pretty low, Iowa may also be an interesting state to retire since pensioners don’t need a big budget to afford a decent lifestyle and may not have to worry about financial problems as much as in many other states.

As you can see, there are many reasons for moving to Iowa.

Yet, there are also some drawbacks of living in Iowa that I want to show you in the following so you can better decide for yourself whether you still want to move to Iowa or rather want to move to Delaware or a different region instead.

Disadvantages of Living in Iowa

1. Iowa is not located at the coast
2. Public transport in Iowa is not great
3. You may urgently need a car to stay mobile in Iowa
4. Rather poor medical infrastructure outside the big cities of Iowa
5. Hard to find great nightlife in Iowa
6. You may have a hard time socializing in the rural parts of Iowa
7. You may miss cultural diversity in the rural regions of Iowa
8. Some people are still pretty conservative and traditional
9. Not many great sports teams in Iowa
10. Fewer great museums than in many other states
11. Entertainment options in Iowa are rather limited
12. Iowa may not be the most exciting state
13. You may get bored with your life in Iowa sooner or later
14. Many young people think about leaving the rural parts of Iowa
15. Hard to find really good education in many parts of Iowa
16. It may take you quite a long time to bring your kids to school and back
17. You may lose lots of time on organizational issues in the rural parts of Iowa
18. Iowa may not be the most popular state in the US
19. Hard to meet many international tourists in Iowa
20. Selection of foods may not be as great as in more culturally diverse places
21. Moving to Iowa doesn’t make sense if you don’t like nature
22. Natural disasters may damage or even destroy your home in Iowa
23. Climate change may lower overall quality of life in Iowa
24. Many rural regions are not easy to reach
25. Cold winters in Iowa may not be attractive to many people
26. Long distances in Iowa may become annoying
27. Not many big cities in Iowa
28. Iowa may not be the greatest state for students
29. You may be confronted with agricultural smell quite often
30. Median income in Iowa is not great
31. Hard to build a strong business network in Iowa
32. Iowa may be too quiet for you in the long run
33. You may meet snakes or other animals in the rural parts of Iowa

Iowa is not located at the coast

One problem with moving to Iowa is that the state doesn’t have a coastline and while people living in Seattle or other coastal regions can enjoy the beach quite often, you in Iowa will just not have this luxury and your overall quality of life may be much lower.

Public transport in Iowa is not great

You should also not forget that public transport is rather poor in most regions of Iowa and you may therefore have a hard time getting around by train or bus.

You may urgently need a car to stay mobile in Iowa

Since Iowa is not the most bicycle-friendly region and public transport is not great, you may also urgently need a car to get around in this region and in case you can’t drive for some reason, you may just get stuck in your town in Iowa and may just not be mobile enough to get from A to B in an efficient manner.

Rather poor medical infrastructure outside the big cities of Iowa

While you will find solid doctors in the big cities of Iowa, you will not find really good medical infrastructure in the rural regions of this state and in case of medical emergency, you may not get medical treatment in time and may even lose your life if you are really unlucky.

Hard to find great nightlife in Iowa

Another downside to moving to Iowa is that you will also have a rather hard time finding great bars and clubs, especially in the rural regions of Iowa where you will have pretty limited selection in this regard and in case you are still young and want to party all night long on a regular basis, you may not get happy with your life in Iowa in the long run.

You may have a hard time socializing in the rural parts of Iowa

While you can make many social connections in the urban parts of Iowa rather quickly, you may have a much harder time doing so in many rural regions since you may just have a much harder time getting in touch with people and may therefore feel pretty lonely from time to time.

You may miss cultural diversity in the rural regions of Iowa

You should also not expect to find great cultural diversity in the rural regions of Iowa and may also just not be able to meet many great people from all over the world in most parts of the state.

Some people are still pretty conservative and traditional

Another disadvantage of moving to Iowa is that it is still a pretty conservative region where many people in the rural parts of Iowa still live in a rather conservative manner and may therefore not appreciate alternative ways of life as much as in more urban regions.

Not many great sports teams in Iowa

You should also not expect to find as many great sports teams in Iowa as people living in Arizona or other states and in case you are a sports fan and want to watch many games live in person, you may be better off moving to a state where you will find more great sports teams playing at the highest level.

Fewer great museums than in many other states

While you will find some interesting museums in the big cities of Iowa, you may still not find the same number of great museums as in many other states and in case you want to explore many different kinds of art, you may be better off moving to Chicago or other places where art plays a much bigger role.

Entertainment options in Iowa are rather limited

Another problem with living in Iowa is that entertainment options are rather limited outside the big cities and in case you need adrenaline and action 24/7, you may be better off moving to Las Vegas or other more vibrant regions.

Iowa may not be the most exciting state

Since there might not be as much entertainment as in many other states, Iowa may also not be the most exciting region and you may just not make as many interesting experiences in this region as in many other states.

You may get bored with your life in Iowa sooner or later

Since there are just not as many exciting things to do, you may also get bored with your life in Iowa sooner or later and may want to move to more interesting places, especially if you move to the rural parts of Iowa where entertainment options are often rather limited.

Many young people think about leaving the rural parts of Iowa

Due to a lack of entertainment options and rather poor overall public infrastructure, many young people also consider leaving the rural parts of Iowa and may just want to move to the bigger cities and you may therefore just end up with many old people and may not be able to hang out with many people of your age.

Hard to find really good education in many parts of Iowa

Another downside to living in Iowa is that you will also have a pretty hard time finding good education in this region since there are just not many world-class schools or colleges and if you want to get the best education possible for you and your kids, you may be better off moving to Boston or other regions where world-class education plays a bigger role.

It may take you quite a long time to bring your kids to school and back

If you want to move to the rural parts of Iowa, it may also take you quite a long time to bring your kids to and pick them up from school and you may therefore even want to rely on homeschooling if you live in a remote region where there are just not many great schools nearby.

You may lose lots of time on organizational issues in the rural parts of Iowa

Since public infrastructure might not be great in many rural parts of Iowa, you may also have to drive long distances to manage your private and professional life and may therefore not be able to live your life in an efficient manner.

Iowa may not be the most popular state in the US

Another disadvantage of living in Iowa is that it might just not be the most popular state in the US and your loved ones may not understand your decision of moving to Iowa and you may therefore have to justify quite a lot due to that.

Hard to meet many international tourists in Iowa

There are also not many international tourists in the Iowa region and if your goal is to get in touch with as many interesting people from all over the world as possible, moving to Iowa may just not be the right choice for you in this regard.

Selection of foods may not be as great as in more culturally diverse places

If you want to move to rather rural regions in Iowa, you may also not find as many exotic foods as in more urban parts and your culinary experiences may be rather limited due to that.

Moving to Iowa doesn’t make sense if you don’t like nature

You should also be a nature lover since you would likely just not get happy with living in Iowa in the long run otherwise since many leisure activities are just done in natural environments and there might not be many other things to do in the rural parts of this state.

Natural disasters may damage or even destroy your home in Iowa

You should also know that storms, wildfires or other natural disasters may damage or destroy your home in Iowa sooner or later and if you are really unlucky, you may even lose your life due to those tragic events.

Climate change may lower overall quality of life in Iowa

Due to climate change, also water scarcity and other problems may play a role in the Iowa region sooner or later and overall quality of life may therefore drop significantly in the long run.

Many rural regions are not easy to reach

You should also not forget that many rural regions are not easily accessible since they don’t have big airports and it may therefore take you quite a long time to get to those places and you may also have a rather complicated time traveling the world.

Cold winters in Iowa may not be attractive to many people

While some people like cold weather, others just can’t stand it and if you belong to the second group of people, you may be better off moving to Dallas or other regions where it is usually pretty warm all year long.

Long distances in Iowa may become annoying

If you want to live outside of the big cities in Iowa, you may also have to drive pretty long distances to get what you need in various parts of life and this may make your life pretty inefficient and exhausting in the long run compared to people in urban regions who often find what they need pretty close to their homes.

Not many big cities in Iowa

While there are some bigger cities in Iowa, you should not expect to find the same big metropolitan regions as people living in L.A. or other major cities and may therefore also not be able to enjoy real big city life.

Iowa may not be the greatest state for students

Since Iowa is not the most exciting place and you may also not find many great colleges, it may just not be a great place for students and you may be better off studying in NYC or other places where you can find really good education and great nightlife so you can really enjoy your time as a student.

You may be confronted with agricultural smell quite often

You should also be aware of the fact that agriculture plays a really important role in Iowa and if you don’t like this kind of smell, you may just not get happy with your life in Iowa in the long run.

Median income in Iowa is not great

You should also know that overall income levels in Iowa are rather low and you may just not be able to make as much money as in many other regions.

Hard to build a strong business network in Iowa

Since there are not as many big corporations to work for as in many other states and more urban regions, many people in Iowa also really struggle with building a strong business network and may not be able to climb the corporate ladder as quickly as people in bigger metropolitan regions.

Iowa may be too quiet for you in the long run

You should also know that Iowa is a rather quiet place and you may therefore just not get happy with your life in Iowa in case you are the type of person who needs adrenaline all day and night long.

You may meet snakes or other animals in the rural parts of Iowa

Especially in the rural parts of Iowa, you may also meet snakes and other rather unpleasant animals and in case you are unlucky, you may even get bitten and may have to attend a doctor to get cured in an efficient manner.

Top 10 Moving To Iowa Pros & Cons – Summary List

Is Iowa A Good Place To Live?

While Iowa can be a great place to live since living and housing costs are pretty low, people are friendly and traffic is not a big problem in most regions, you should also know that Iowa is just not the most exciting state, it is hard to find really good education and you may also get bored with your life in Iowa in the long run.

In the end, it is on you to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of moving to Iowa carefully so you can make the best possible decision in this regard according to your individual circumstances.

Most Popular Cities To Live In Iowa – Comparison

Alternative States To Live

If you no longer want to move to Iowa, you may also want to have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Illinois

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Florida

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Indiana

Sources

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/IA

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.