Every year, a new list of the best places to live in the country is released. The 2024 list has been revealed, and it includes some towns in Iowa!
Livability compiles these rankings. In previous years, four Iowa cities have made the list. One of the cities on this year’s list has been there for the last three years, and the other has been on the list for two years.
To determine these rankings, Livability looks at factors like the economy, housing, cost of living, amenities, transportation, environment, safety, education, and health of each city.
Let’s take a look at Iowa’s best places to live for 2024 and compare them to previous years.
In 2022, four Iowa cities made the list: Iowa City at number 46, Ames at 80, Des Moines at 90, and Dubuque at 96.
In 2023, Dubuque and Ames dropped off the list, but two new cities were added: Cedar Rapids at 50, Davenport at 88, Des Moines at 89, and Iowa City at 94.
For 2024, Iowa lost two spots in the top 100, but the two cities that remained were also in the top 100 last year.
Starting with the lowest-ranking city on the list, Iowa City jumped up quite a few spots from last year to number 55.
And coming in as the 41st best place to live in Iowa is Cedar Rapids.