Moving to Iowa
New residents should check the driver license deadline with the Iowa DOT and must register a car within 30 days. Prices are 12.2% below the U.S. average, and a single filer earning $100,000 pays about $3,148 in Iowa income tax. 33,544 households moved here from other states in 2022–2023, most often from Illinois and Nebraska.
New resident checklist for Iowa
Driver license
Check the deadline with the Iowa DOT. Bring proof of identity, lawful status, Social Security number and two proofs of Iowa residence. Bring proof of identity, your Social Security number and two proofs of your Iowa address.
Vehicle title and registration
Title and register with the county treasurer within 30 days of establishing residency. No emissions or safety inspection. Switch your auto insurance to an Iowa policy.
Taxes or fees on a car you bring: The 5% fee for new registration does not apply if you bought the vehicle for use in the state you moved from (Iowa Code 321.105A exemption 8). A credit is given for sales tax paid to another state.
Annual registration: By value and weight: 1% of value (set by the DOT) plus $0.40 per 100 lb (Iowa Code 321.109), with reductions as the vehicle ages.
Extra yearly fee for an electric vehicle: $130.
Establishing residency
Residency begins when you establish your domicile in Iowa; two documents proving Iowa residence are required for a license. Residency also decides where you pay income tax in the year you move; see taxes the year you move.
Your first-month checklist in Iowa
- Register to vote at your new address.
- Update your address with the IRS (Form 8822), your employer and your bank.
- Make sure your employer withholds Iowa income tax from your move date.
- Set up utilities and get renters or homeowners insurance. Owners with a mortgage here paid a median $1,421 a year for homeowners insurance in 2024 (Census ACS); premiums have risen in most states since, so get quotes.
- Keep your lease or closing papers and your license date as proof of when you became a resident.
Still planning the move itself? The moving out of state checklist covers the weeks before you go, and the moving timeline turns your move date into dated deadlines. Our guide to moving with pets covers vet records, travel and local pet rules. Shipping a car? See shipping a car to another state, or take the Where should I move? quiz.
Official site: iowadot.gov. Sources: iowadot.gov (2), legis.iowa.gov, legis.iowa.gov (2), legis.iowa.gov (3). Reviewed 2026-09-25. Rules and fees change; confirm with the Iowa motor vehicle agency before you go.
Compare your move to Iowa
Pick the state you're leaving and your salary to see your take-home pay, rent and the salary that keeps your buying power the same in Iowa.
Equal salary in IA: $70,900
To keep the same lifestyle, you need about $70,900 in Iowa to match $85,000 in Illinois ($14,100 less), after 2026 taxes and local prices.
Single filer, W-2 salary, standard deduction.
These changes cover taxes, housing and electricity. Food, transport, healthcare, other spending and one-time moving costs are excluded. They are not total savings. State medians may differ from your neighborhood and current quotes.
| Tax on $85,000 | Illinois | Iowa |
|---|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $9,870 | $9,870 |
| Social Security + Medicare | $6,503 | $6,503 |
| State income tax | $4,063 | $2,578 |
| State payroll programs (UI, disability, paid leave, transit) | $0 | $0 |
| Take-home pay | $64,565 | $66,049 |
Full reports for the most common moves to Iowa: Illinois to Iowa, Nebraska to Iowa, Minnesota to Iowa, Texas to Iowa, California to Iowa and Florida to Iowa.
Living in Iowa: costs, taxes and risk
Of the 51 (the 50 states and D.C.), Iowa is in the best 10 for overall prices, rent, car insurance, natural hazard risk, cost to own a home and health premiums, and in the worst 10 for property tax rate.
- Median rent
- $981/mo U.S. $1,487
- Cost to own the median home
- $1,567/mo U.S. $2,298
- Take-home on $100,000
- $76,032 $953 more than in the median state
- Property tax (effective)
- 1.29% median $2,937/yr
- FEMA risk score
- 62.8 of 100 Above average for U.S. counties
- Moved in from other states
- 33,544 households, IRS 2022–2023
Pros and cons of living in Iowa
How Iowa ranks among all 51 (the 50 states and D.C.) on 11 measures of costs, taxes, risk and income. Top 10 means among the 10 best for someone moving in, Bottom 10 among the 10 worst.
Where Iowa ranks best
- Top 5 Lowest overall prices: price level 87.8 (U.S. = 100, BEA 2024), tied with 1 other state for 3rd lowest.
- Top 5 Lowest rent: $981 a month at the median (Census ACS 2024), 3rd lowest of 51.
- Top 5 Lowest car insurance costs: $873 a year per car on average (NAIC 2023), 4th lowest of 51.
- Top 10 Lowest natural hazard risk: FEMA risk score 62.8 of 100, 6th lowest of 51.
- Top 10 Lowest cost to own a home: $1,567 a month for the median home with 20% down, 9th lowest of 51.
- Top 10 Lowest Marketplace health premiums: $501 a month for a benchmark plan at age 40, before subsidies (KFF 2026), 9th lowest of 51.
Where Iowa ranks worst
- Bottom 10 Highest property tax rate: 1.29% of home value a year, 9th highest of 51.
Measures: state income tax, overall prices, rent, cost to own a home, property tax rate, homeowners insurance, electric bills, car insurance, health premiums, natural hazard risk, household income. State income tax is for a single filer earning $100,000 under 2026 rules, including the average county income tax in Indiana and Maryland. Ties share a rank.
Where new Iowa residents come from
In the latest IRS migration data (2022–2023), 33,544 households filed their taxes in Iowa after filing in another state the year before. Illinois sent the most, 5,280 households (16% of the total). Iowa lost a net 2,414 households to other states that year.
Five-year trend
Moves to Iowa from other states peaked in 2020–21 at 35,848 households, then fell 6% to 33,544 in 2022–23, up 16% from 2018–19. Iowa lost households to other states on net in all five years.
IRS SOI state-to-state migration files, tax years 2018–19 to 2022–23. Net gain or loss by year: 2018–19 −3,937, 2019–20 −2,594, 2020–21 −468, 2021–22 −4,948, 2022–23 −2,414.
Cost of living in Iowa vs the U.S.
Overall prices in Iowa are 12.2% below the U.S. average, 3rd cheapest of 51. The widest gap is in housing (65.3), 35% below the U.S. level.
The vertical line marks the U.S. average (100). BEA Regional Price Parities 2024.
- Average electric bill
- $112/mo U.S. $142
- Car insurance, per car
- $873/yr U.S. $1,282
- Health plan, age 40
- $501/mo U.S. $625
EIA 2024 average residential bills, NAIC 2023 average auto insurance expenditure, KFF 2026 benchmark silver Marketplace premium before subsidies.
Taxes in Iowa: take-home pay at three incomes
Iowa taxes wages. Here is what a single filer keeps after 2026 federal and state taxes, compared with the middle of all 51.
| Salary | IA income tax | Take-home | vs. median state |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $1,248 | $41,107 | +$329 |
| $100,000 | $3,148 | $76,032 | +$953 |
| $150,000 | $5,048 | $108,743 | +$1,156 |
Single filer, 2026 tax rules, standard deduction. Take-home is after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Iowa income taxes. "vs. median state" is the difference from the median take-home of all 51 at the same salary. For married filing jointly, change the filing status in the calculator above.
The statewide sales tax rate is 6% before any local sales taxes. Homeowners pay a median $2,937 a year in property tax, 1.29% of the median home value (property tax by county). Retiring? See how Iowa taxes Social Security and pensions. Moving mid-year? Read about taxes the year you move.
Cities in Iowa: where a paycheck goes furthest
The Des Moines metro area is the only one of the 149 U.S. metro areas we cover that is centered in Iowa. About $70,600 there buys what $75,000 buys in an average-priced area with no state income tax.
| Metro area | Salary to match $75k | Price level | Median rent | Median home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines | $70,600 | 91.7 | $1,178 | $288,400 |
Salary to match $75k: the pay that leaves the same after-tax, price-adjusted income as $75,000 in an area at U.S. average prices with no state income tax, single filer, including the principal city's own income tax where it has one. BEA 2024 price levels (U.S. = 100) and Census ACS 2024 rent and home values for each metro area.
Parts of Iowa also belong to the Omaha metro area, which is centered outside Iowa.
Housing and home insurance in Iowa
| Measure | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Median rent (monthly) | $981 | $1,487 |
| Median home value | $227,300 | $360,600 |
| Monthly cost to own the median home (20% down) | $1,567 | $2,298 |
| Income needed to buy the median home | $67,151 | $98,486 |
| Median property tax (yearly) | $2,937 | $3,211 |
| Homeowners insurance (yearly median, homes with a mortgage) | $1,421 | $1,450 |
Census ACS 2024 rent, home value and property tax, and ACS 2024 homeowners insurance. Cost to own: principal and interest at the Freddie Mac 30-year average (6.95%) with 20% down, plus the median property tax and the median homeowners insurance paid by owners with a mortgage. Premiums have risen since 2024, especially in high-risk areas, so get quotes. See buying a home in Iowa for other down payments.
Natural disaster risk in Iowa
Iowa's population-weighted score on FEMA's National Risk Index is 62.8 of 100, above average for U.S. counties and 6th safest of 51. Expected losses from natural hazards average about $575 per resident a year, and no residents live in counties FEMA rates relatively high or very high.
The vertical line marks the middle of U.S. counties (50).
See disaster risk for every Iowa county and how to check a home's risk before you move.
Frequently asked questions
Where do people moving to Iowa come from?
In IRS migration data for 2022–2023, 33,544 households moved to Iowa from other states. The most came from Illinois (5,280 households), Nebraska (3,172) and Minnesota (2,324).
What are the pros and cons of living in Iowa?
Where Iowa ranks best among the 50 states and D.C.: lowest overall prices, tied with 1 other state for 3rd lowest; lowest rent, 3rd lowest of 51; lowest car insurance costs, 4th lowest of 51; lowest natural hazard risk, 6th lowest of 51; lowest cost to own a home, 9th lowest of 51; lowest Marketplace health premiums, 9th lowest of 51. Where it ranks worst: highest property tax rate, 9th highest of 51.
Is Iowa expensive to live in?
Overall prices in Iowa are 12.2% below the U.S. average (BEA price level 87.8, 2024), 3rd cheapest of 51. Median rent is $981 a month and the median home is worth $227,300.
How long do I have to get an Iowa driver license after moving?
Check the deadline with the Iowa DOT. Bring proof of identity, lawful status, Social Security number and two proofs of Iowa residence.
How long do I have to register my car in Iowa?
30 days. Title and register with the county treasurer within 30 days of establishing residency. No emissions or safety inspection.
Do new residents pay tax on a car brought to Iowa?
The 5% fee for new registration does not apply if you bought the vehicle for use in the state you moved from (Iowa Code 321.105A exemption 8). A credit is given for sales tax paid to another state.
What makes me an Iowa resident?
Residency begins when you establish your domicile in Iowa; two documents proving Iowa residence are required for a license.