Ranked for Retirees
Best Places to Live in Iowa for Retirees
Warm winters, low taxes, low crime, clean air, a calmer pace Ranked by how well each place fits the Retirees profile across cost, schools, climate, and safety — see how we score.
Top 19 places
- #1Cedar FallsPopulation 40,686 · solid overall livability28% match
- #2Council BluffsPopulation 62,670 · mixed overall livability26% match
- #3Mason CityPopulation 27,271 · solid overall livability26% match
- #4Des MoinesPopulation 213,164 · mixed overall livability15% match
- #5Cedar RapidsPopulation 136,929 · mixed overall livability15% match
- #6DavenportPopulation 101,448 · mixed overall livability15% match
- #7Sioux CityPopulation 85,469 · mixed overall livability15% match
- #8Iowa CityPopulation 74,878 · mixed overall livability15% match
- #9West Des MoinesPopulation 68,744 · mixed overall livability15% match
- #10WaterlooPopulation 67,256 · mixed overall livability15% match
- #11AmesPopulation 66,265 · mixed overall livability15% match
- #12DubuquePopulation 59,315 · mixed overall livability15% match
- #13MarionPopulation 41,401 · mixed overall livability15% match
- #14BettendorfPopulation 38,997 · mixed overall livability15% match
- #15MarshalltownPopulation 27,511 · mixed overall livability15% match
- #16OttumwaPopulation 25,359 · mixed overall livability15% match
- #17AnkenyPopulation 68,392 · mixed overall livability0% match
- #18UrbandalePopulation 45,591 · mixed overall livability0% match
- #19WaukeePopulation 25,045 · mixed overall livability0% match
Match % is a range-based fit: the share of this profile's weighted factors whose value for a place lands inside the profile's preferred band. It is not an absolute quality score, and very small communities are excluded from this list.
Tune these weights yourself on the interactive map →
Disagree with the ranking? Drag the sliders for retirees and watch the map re-score every place in Iowa live.