It's not uncommon to be drawn to a location by a larger salary, only to find it's not worth the cost to your quality of life.
Housing is exceedingly expensive; the daily commute is costly, stressful, and time consuming; school systems are poor; crime is a concern, there is little green space for recreation; and the air may be cut with a knife. Smaller communities within Iowa offer opportunities for enhanced quality of life. Whether you would be staying, returning, or a first time resident to Iowa, this site helps you find the right community for you and your family based on your list of desired community features.
We have compiled information regarding community and lifestyle features that affect quality of life such as local economic development, recreational facilities, technology, arts and leisure, education quality, travel distance for work, and cost of living. This information is combined to create the interactive tool of the site.
Community ratings, at your fingertips.
If you would like to see the ratings of a particular community from our list of 128 communities, click the community icon on the map or community name in the list.A program designed to highlight communities for living.
The Index helps communities assess and promote current levels of rural community infrastructural, cultural, and social features that develop and attract individuals and families to their locales.
