You may live in Iowa's top 5 best counties. Here's which ranked highest and why.

[cigaretteman]

In a state with 99 counties, which are the best to live in?

Niche, which provides users information and ratings on schools and where to live, ranked which Iowa counties are the best to live in.

It’s part of the site's 2024 Best Places to Live rankings that can be narrowed down to more specific searches that to benefit families, people looking to purchase a home or other interests.

Rankings were determined based on categories such as public schools, the cost of living, economic growth, demographics and more.

What is Iowa's best county to live in?​

Congratulations to central Iowans.

Story County ranked No. 1.

Niche described the county as a place where most residents are homeowners, have access to lots of bars, coffee shops and parks and that the public schools are highly rated.

Several factors received an A grade from Niche, which is the highest ranking that can be achieved. Those factors were public schools, nightlife, commuting, jobs, health and fitness and good for families — each an umbrella for other measures. For example, good for families considers measures such as access to outdoor activities, crime rates and the percentage of households with children under 18.


Just a few of the cities that make up Story County are Ames, Story City, Nevada and Maxwell. Story County has a population of 98,537, according to the 2020 U.S. Census.

More:Can't stop sneezing? Iowa has some of the nation's highest pollen counts, allergy triggers

What are the top five best counties to live in Iowa?​

Three of the five counties were in central Iowa and the two remaining are from eastern Iowa. According to Niche, those are:

1. Story County
2. Dallas County
3. Johnson County
4. Polk County
5. Scott County

You may live in Iowa's top 5 best counties. Here's which ranked highest and why.

The top ranked county is located in central Iowa. Niche, the source of the rankings, considered factors like cost of living and nightlife.

www.press-citizen.com

 

[RushProbst]

Warren Cty FTW

 

[QChawks]

99. Linn

 

[Whiskeydeltadeltatango]

Ames sucks.

 

[lonestar50]

Story County has Ames. List is bogus.

 

[JWolf74]

Warren Cty FTW

Word

 

[EasyHawk]

Marion County would have been a lock, but Bussey, Harvey, and Pleasantville were not enough to overcome the negatives of Knoxville,

 

[GOHOX69]

Story county? Hahaha. That's all I need to know. Hahahaha.

 

[LunchBox50]

Story County has Ames. List is bogus.

This. I refuse to accept this. Mike Pence didn't have the courage to do what should have been done and prevent this.

 

[IACub]

Ames sucks.

That water, tho.

 

[hawkeye54545]

Story County has Ames. List is bogus.

Water quality must be like 85% of the ranking. 98 counties don't get songs about their water.

 

[LuteHawk]

#5 Scott County includes Davenport and Bettendorf
and their scenic view of the Mississippi River. The
public schools in Scott County offer some great
choices in the suburbs.

 

[Rifler]

None of those counties is bad, but certainly wouldn't classify any of them as being the best...

 

[IAFB2021Champs]

Clown list probably made by a clown in Ames.

 

[GOHOX69]

Johnson is always the right answer.

Why? Because it keeps 99.9% of you mouthbreathers from entering it

 

[pablow]

Yes - the county seat of Dallas County is Hooterville. It has a courthouse and a Casey's. In a few months the entire county will change its name to Waukee.

 

[GOHOX69]

Yes - the county seat of Dallas County is Hooterville. It has a courthouse and a Casey's. In a few months the entire county will change its name to Waukee.

Isn't the whole State of Iowa pretty much Hooterville? I would say a solid 85% is.

 

[SSG T]

Isn't the whole State of Iowa pretty much Hooterville? I would say a solid 85% is.

My wife were talking about this a bit. Most of the town/cities in the state between 10k and 25k (ignoring suburbs, stand alone towns) are varying degrees of trashy. Yes, there are a few exceptions, but for the most part we're talking differences between a 2 to 4 out of 10.

Ex, just talking about the SE quarter (S and E of 80 and 35), how many towns fitting the 10-25k don't suck? I can think of 2 or 3, other than that, they're meh at best.

 

[SSG T]

Marion County would have been a lock, but Bussey, Harvey, and Pleasantville were not enough to overcome the negatives of Knoxville,

My wife is from Pleasantville, my in-laws still live there. P-ville is trash. It's a mini Knoxville. The only saving grace is The Checkerboard.

 

[tarheelbybirth]

Isn't the whole State of Iowa pretty much Hooterville? I would say a solid 85% is.

3,1,2

 

[win4jj]

Jones.

 

[Obviously Oblivious]

My wife were talking about this a bit. Most of the town/cities in the state between 10k and 25k (ignoring suburbs, stand alone towns) are varying degrees of trashy. Yes, there are a few exceptions, but for the most part we're talking differences between a 2 to 4 out of 10.

Ex, just talking about the SE quarter (S and E of 80 and 35), how many towns fitting the 10-25k don't suck? I can think of 2 or 3, other than that, they're meh at best.

Pella, Waverly are a couple of the exceptions IMO. I can't speak for Carroll, Pleasant Hill, Le Mars & Norwalk as I haven't spent much time in any of them, but I don't hear much that's negative about them.

Johnson County should be #1 though on the county list, but I'm biased.

 

[RushProbst]

Pella, Waverly are a couple of the exceptions IMO. I can't speak for Carroll, Pleasant Hill, Le Mars & Norwalk as I haven't spent much time in any of them, but I don't hear much that's negative about them.

Johnson County should be #1 though on the county list, but I'm biased.

Norwalk wouldn’t fit in that group as it is a DsM burb. Probably same deal w. pleasant hill.

 

[ButtersHawk]

Pella, Waverly are a couple of the exceptions IMO. I can't speak for Carroll, Pleasant Hill, Le Mars & Norwalk as I haven't spent much time in any of them, but I don't hear much that's negative about them.

Johnson County should be #1 though on the county list, but I'm biased.

I don't live in Lemars but I've heard from plenty its an expensive town to live in. Which is weird considering if it's not Blue Bunny funded the only fun thing to do is go to Kwikstar.

 

[SSG T]

Pella, Waverly are a couple of the exceptions IMO. I can't speak for Carroll, Pleasant Hill, Le Mars & Norwalk as I haven't spent much time in any of them, but I don't hear much that's negative about them.

Johnson County should be #1 though on the county list, but I'm biased.

Pella and Waverly are definitely exceptions, I'd say Grinnell is too. Pleasant Hill and Norwalk more than qualify as suburbs of Des Moines, I wouldn't count them.

 

[Hans81]

Pella, Waverly are a couple of the exceptions IMO. I can't speak for Carroll, Pleasant Hill, Le Mars & Norwalk as I haven't spent much time in any of them, but I don't hear much that's negative about them.

Johnson County should be #1 though on the county list, but I'm biased.

Okiboji, Clear Lake, and Decorah are nicer small Iowa towns.

 

[LuciousBDragon]

Warren Cty FTW

Warren County does include Cumming.

That’s worth something to consider…

 

[THE_DEVIL]

****in' bullshit! Wapello gets disrespected...AGAIN!!!

 

[joelbc1]

Polk County? That’s Des Moines! I have had many folk who don’t live here tell he how bad Polk County sucks!
Northern… how’d you let this slip by?

 

[SSG T]

Warren County does include Cumming.

That’s worth something to consider…

Dated a girl in HS who's address was Cumming, although she lived closer to Bevington.

 

[LuciousBDragon]

Dated a girl in HS who's address was Cumming, although she lived closer to Bevington.

 

[shiphappens]

Okiboji, Clear Lake, and Deborah are nicer small Iowa towns.

I visit Deborah as much as possible.

 

[IAFB2021Champs]

Okiboji, Clear Lake, and Deborah are nicer small Iowa towns.

Never heard of Deborah Iowa before.

 

[shiphappens]

Dated a girl in HS who's address was Cumming, although she lived closer to Bevington.

 

[lucas80]

None of those counties is bad, but certainly wouldn't classify any of them as being the best...

Just for fun, list off your top 5 counties

 

[lucas80]

I was in the bowels of Louisa County on Wednesday. It should be ranked 105th out of Iowa's 99 counties, and, it isn't even the worst county in Iowa.

 

[stickman80]

Just for fun, list off your top 5 counties

Top 3.

Polk...home of Beaverdale
Dallas.....home of Beaver Lake
Boone...the town of Beaver

 

[StormHawk42]

I was in the bowels of Louisa County on Wednesday. It should be ranked 105th out of Iowa's 99 counties, and, it isn't even the worst county in Iowa.

The southern row of Iowa counties are like a third world country

 

[stickman80]

The southern row of Iowa counties are like a third world country

Where most residents have more toes than teeth.

 

[MitchLL]

The southern row of Iowa counties are like a third world country

Why, yes. Yes they are.

Give back to Missouri and call it good.