Welcome to the happiest places in Iowa.
Using Saturday Night Science and data, we determined the cities and towns with the most rainbows, butterflies, puppies, and unicorns.
You know, the places where people have jobs, white-picked fences, and friendly neighbors – unicorn cities.
After analyzing the 84 largest cities, we happily present the happiest cities in the Hawkeye State.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Happiest Places In Iowa
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked. If you have a smile on your face, you probably live in one of these cities.
Oh, and by the way, Perry is the most miserable place in Iowa.
For more Iowa reading, check out:
The 10 Happiest Places In Iowa For 2024
/10
Population: 40,686
Poverty Level: 17.0%
Median Home Price $233,285
Married Households 27.0%
Households With Kids 23.04%
More on Cedar Falls: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Cedar Falls is by far the happiest place in the state of Iowa. Let’s see why.
First off, having a solid family life is a good indication of how happy someone is. Lots of the residents of Cedar Falls aren’t missing out on love; more than 27% of them are married. Plus, the average commute time here is only about 15 minutes each way. That means a lot more time with the spouse and kids.
/10
Population: 10,270
Poverty Level: 8.9%
Median Home Price $184,709
Married Households 37.0%
Households With Kids 23.82%
More on Carroll: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Things look to be pretty pleasant in Carroll. Crime is really low here, and the percentage of married residents (37%) mean there’s lots of stability at home.
In addition to those factors, there is a thriving amount of community involvement. Studies have shown that a key factor to happiness is when people volunteer, especially in their own neighborhoods.
/10
Population: 7,611
Poverty Level: 9.8%
Median Home Price $277,060
Married Households 24.0%
Households With Kids 20.3%
More on Decorah: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
The people who live in Decorah have a lot going for them. 45% of them have college degrees, and they command some of the highest salaries in IA. 24% of the people here are married.
Most of these all tops in the entire state.
/10
Population: 6,770
Poverty Level: 21.4%
Median Home Price $138,713
Married Households 30.0%
Households With Kids 27.02%
More on Atlantic: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Atlantic is where you can bet there are lots of smiley and happy people all over town. Crime is essentially something that just doesn’t happen here very often. And when you can let your guard down and relax a little, the lack of stress really makes a difference.
Same goes on the job front. Only 1.3% of residents here are out of work. Sounds like there are jobs for just about everyone who wants one. Which must be a good feeling to have.
/10
Population: 74,878
Poverty Level: 26.7%
Median Home Price $279,401
Married Households 15.0%
Households With Kids 17.7%
More on Iowa City: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
If you want to see a bunch of happy people, go to Iowa City. It seriously looks like something out of a commercial.
They have a 17 minute commute time, which means lots more time with the kids.
/10
Population: 6,933
Poverty Level: 11.4%
Median Home Price $224,887
Married Households 38.0%
Households With Kids 26.54%
More on Nevada: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
For those who say that money doesn’t buy happiness, you’re half right. Studies have shown that people are happy up to a certain point when it comes to annual salaries, somewhere around $72,000 a year. After that, it doesn’t matter how much you make, you’re not going to be much happier.
The residents of Nevada have that covered. Plus about 38% of households are married.
/10
Population: 5,409
Poverty Level: 5.7%
Median Home Price $306,042
Married Households 28.0%
Households With Kids 24.2%
More on Spirit Lake: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Most of the people in Spirit Lake have to be plum’ happy. True happiness is Home Sweet Home’ with your kids and spouse, being reminded to do chores, run errands and fold the clothes right.
/10
Population: 6,278
Poverty Level: 7.5%
Median Home Price $270,941
Married Households 38.0%
Households With Kids 26.84%
More on Orange City: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Less than 5.4% of the residents in Orange City are jobless, which is just about as low as you’ll see.
Incomes are steady, and commute times are really low as well. That really takes away the stress factors that stop folks from relaxing and enjoying their down time’ to do the little things that matter: Walks in the park, time alone with a book and extra face time with the children.
/10
Population: 5,417
Poverty Level: 14.7%
Median Home Price $187,712
Married Households 39.0%
Households With Kids 29.89%
More on Sheldon: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
About 20% of residents in Sheldon, IA have a college degree. While we’ve all heard the saying, Ignorance is bliss,’ our argument is: Ignorance is also broke.
Not only are most of the residents of Sheldon smart, they’re safe, too.
/10
Population: 10,556
Poverty Level: 4.2%
Median Home Price $313,636
Married Households 34.0%
Households With Kids 29.27%
More on Pella: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
In Pella, most of the population is married, and most own their own homes.
The commute times (14 minutes each way) might eventually start to turn the corners of those smiles sideways.
But for now, it’s all roses in Pella.
Methodology: How We Measured The Happiest Cities In The Hawkeye State
To rank the happiest places in Iowa, we had to determine what criteria make people happy. It isn’t a stretch to assume that happy people earn great salaries, are relatively stress-free, and have a stable home life.
So we went to the Census’s American Community Survey 2018-2022 report for the happy criteria, added some Saturday Night Science, and generated the answer.
Here are the criteria we used to measure happiness:
- Percentage of residents with a college degree
- Average commute times
- Unemployment rates
- Cost of living
- % of married couples
- % of families with kids
- Poverty rate
After we decided on the criteria, we gathered the data for the 84 places in Iowa with over 5,000 people.
We then ranked each place from one to 84 for each of the seven criteria, with a score of one being the happiest.
Next, we averaged the seven rankings into a Happy Index for each place with the lowest overall Happy Index “earning” the title “Happiest City In Iowa.”
If you’d like to see the complete list of cities, happiest to saddest, scroll to the bottom of this post to see the unabridged chart.
We updated this article for 2024, and it’s our tenth time ranking the happiest cities in Iowa.
There You Have It – The Happiest Cities In Iowa
As we said earlier, trying to determine the most miserable cities in Iowa is usually a subjective matter.
But if you’re analyzing cities where people are not stable, where you’re stuck in traffic, and no one spent the time to go to college, then this is an accurate list.
The happiest cities in Iowa are Cedar Falls, Carroll, Decorah, Atlantic, Iowa City, Nevada, Spirit Lake, Orange City, Sheldon, and Pella.
If you’re curious enough, here are the most miserable cities in Iowa, according to science:
- Perry
- Marshalltown
- Oelwein
For more Iowa reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Iowa
- Cheapest Places To Live In Iowa
- Most Dangerous Cities In Iowa
- Richest Cities In Iowa
- Safest Places In Iowa
- Worst Places To Live In Iowa
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Iowa
Happiest Cities In Iowa For 2024
| Rank | City | Population | Poverty Level | Median Home Value | % Married | % Kids |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cedar Falls, IA | 40,686 | 17.0% | $233,285 | 27.0% | 23.04% |
| 2 | Carroll, IA | 10,270 | 8.9% | $184,709 | 37.0% | 23.82% |
| 3 | Decorah, IA | 7,611 | 9.8% | $277,060 | 24.0% | 20.3% |
| 4 | Atlantic, IA | 6,770 | 21.4% | $138,713 | 30.0% | 27.02% |
| 5 | Iowa City, IA | 74,878 | 26.7% | $279,401 | 15.0% | 17.7% |
| 6 | Nevada, IA | 6,933 | 11.4% | $224,887 | 38.0% | 26.54% |
| 7 | Spirit Lake, IA | 5,409 | 5.7% | $306,042 | 28.0% | 24.2% |
| 8 | Orange City, IA | 6,278 | 7.5% | $270,941 | 38.0% | 26.84% |
| 9 | Sheldon, IA | 5,417 | 14.7% | $187,712 | 39.0% | 29.89% |
| 10 | Pella, IA | 10,556 | 4.2% | $313,636 | 34.0% | 29.27% |
| 11 | Clear Lake, IA | 7,642 | 6.8% | $314,635 | 38.0% | 20.31% |
| 12 | Waverly, IA | 10,399 | 9.7% | $246,782 | 37.0% | 29.25% |
| 13 | Ames, IA | 66,265 | 26.8% | $242,576 | 13.0% | 16.13% |
| 14 | Johnston, IA | 23,856 | 10.5% | $374,570 | 35.0% | 37.45% |
| 15 | Manchester, IA | 5,112 | 8.6% | $160,728 | 52.0% | 21.7% |
| 16 | Sergeant Bluff, IA | 5,007 | 8.3% | $331,417 | 43.0% | 47.59% |
| 17 | Sioux Center, IA | 8,227 | 2.7% | $306,984 | 32.0% | 36.7% |
| 18 | Mount Pleasant, IA | 9,214 | 15.8% | $176,987 | 27.0% | 28.14% |
| 19 | Windsor Heights, IA | 5,200 | 8.0% | $264,202 | 35.0% | 30.16% |
| 20 | Dubuque, IA | 59,315 | 13.0% | $216,138 | 30.0% | 23.84% |
| 21 | West Des Moines, IA | 68,744 | 7.5% | $294,330 | 25.0% | 26.07% |
| 22 | Cherokee, IA | 5,154 | 22.4% | $136,850 | 38.0% | 26.33% |
| 23 | Grinnell, IA | 9,511 | 10.2% | $198,148 | 22.0% | 23.02% |
| 24 | Charles City, IA | 7,364 | 13.4% | $128,017 | 37.0% | 21.04% |
| 25 | Independence, IA | 6,106 | 11.7% | $192,496 | 37.0% | 27.75% |
| 26 | Bondurant, IA | 7,617 | 6.1% | $319,817 | 40.0% | 55.7% |
| 27 | Urbandale, IA | 45,591 | 5.5% | $326,786 | 36.0% | 36.88% |
| 28 | Mason City, IA | 27,271 | 10.5% | $144,252 | 35.0% | 22.81% |
| 29 | Algona, IA | 5,443 | 10.3% | $166,950 | 33.0% | 22.05% |
| 30 | Coralville, IA | 22,494 | 10.7% | $234,792 | 18.0% | 27.19% |
| 31 | Le Mars, IA | 10,549 | 6.9% | $223,605 | 39.0% | 33.94% |
| 32 | Adel, IA | 6,090 | 7.9% | $389,668 | 47.0% | 37.13% |
| 33 | Fairfield, IA | 9,474 | 17.1% | $147,059 | 14.0% | 24.14% |
| 34 | Spencer, IA | 11,351 | 13.6% | $172,012 | 32.0% | 25.4% |
| 35 | Ankeny, IA | 68,392 | 4.7% | $323,344 | 37.0% | 35.59% |
| 36 | Clive, IA | 18,576 | 2.7% | $397,338 | 33.0% | 34.18% |
| 37 | Eldridge, IA | 6,693 | 1.5% | $307,856 | 36.0% | 46.7% |
| 38 | Creston, IA | 7,519 | 13.8% | $127,665 | 28.0% | 26.24% |
| 39 | Marion, IA | 41,401 | 7.1% | $249,715 | 40.0% | 32.68% |
| 40 | Polk City, IA | 5,604 | 7.1% | $399,341 | 56.0% | 42.98% |
| 41 | Iowa Falls, IA | 5,095 | 9.0% | $122,764 | 40.0% | 20.99% |
| 42 | Burlington, IA | 23,976 | 17.8% | $115,784 | 29.0% | 26.57% |
| 43 | Asbury, IA | 5,890 | 5.5% | $333,805 | 41.0% | 45.67% |
| 44 | Waukee, IA | 25,045 | 5.8% | $337,040 | 33.0% | 42.34% |
| 45 | Knoxville, IA | 7,523 | 13.0% | $180,777 | 38.0% | 28.95% |
| 46 | Cedar Rapids, IA | 136,929 | 11.4% | $183,682 | 28.0% | 27.57% |
| 47 | Winterset, IA | 5,366 | 9.9% | $258,592 | 30.0% | 31.75% |
| 48 | Washington, IA | 7,329 | 11.6% | $169,496 | 31.0% | 28.49% |
| 49 | Oskaloosa, IA | 11,492 | 17.0% | $162,462 | 31.0% | 30.49% |
| 50 | Boone, IA | 12,482 | 8.2% | $166,057 | 36.0% | 29.62% |
| 51 | Bettendorf, IA | 38,997 | 7.4% | $294,879 | 25.0% | 35.2% |
| 52 | Hiawatha, IA | 7,179 | 12.3% | $234,116 | 30.0% | 29.32% |
| 53 | Norwalk, IA | 13,057 | 4.1% | $318,235 | 43.0% | 37.15% |
| 54 | Fort Dodge, IA | 24,850 | 15.1% | $126,549 | 24.0% | 24.35% |
| 55 | Davenport, IA | 101,448 | 15.8% | $166,729 | 23.0% | 25.9% |
| 56 | Grimes, IA | 15,402 | 6.5% | $330,335 | 36.0% | 41.77% |
| 57 | Estherville, IA | 5,881 | 14.7% | $105,579 | 25.0% | 21.28% |
| 58 | North Liberty, IA | 20,393 | 4.5% | $286,151 | 28.0% | 39.69% |
| 59 | Clinton, IA | 24,524 | 17.0% | $118,088 | 28.0% | 23.75% |
| 60 | Indianola, IA | 15,845 | 8.7% | $279,064 | 32.0% | 34.14% |
| 61 | Waterloo, IA | 67,256 | 17.4% | $135,521 | 27.0% | 27.62% |
| 62 | Council Bluffs, IA | 62,670 | 13.6% | $196,527 | 21.0% | 27.31% |
| 63 | Sioux City, IA | 85,469 | 14.8% | $179,943 | 24.0% | 33.69% |
| 64 | Muscatine, IA | 23,671 | 17.4% | $171,138 | 26.0% | 36.65% |
| 65 | Webster City, IA | 7,787 | 8.6% | $139,256 | 35.0% | 28.25% |
| 66 | Osceola, IA | 5,455 | 19.8% | $163,656 | 32.0% | 32.75% |
| 67 | Pleasant Hill, IA | 10,456 | 9.3% | $289,143 | 38.0% | 36.58% |
| 68 | Glenwood, IA | 5,128 | 8.8% | $288,271 | 18.0% | 19.98% |
| 69 | Centerville, IA | 5,393 | 25.3% | $73,340 | 26.0% | 23.05% |
| 70 | Altoona, IA | 20,017 | 6.0% | $300,143 | 38.0% | 34.96% |
| 71 | Des Moines, IA | 213,164 | 15.2% | $194,392 | 21.0% | 29.63% |
| 72 | Maquoketa, IA | 6,123 | 16.7% | $177,483 | 36.0% | 30.35% |
| 73 | Fort Madison, IA | 10,293 | 14.5% | $102,359 | 29.0% | 25.08% |
| 74 | Ottumwa, IA | 25,359 | 19.0% | $108,733 | 26.0% | 34.21% |
| 75 | Storm Lake, IA | 11,194 | 6.4% | $170,758 | 17.0% | 29.13% |
| 76 | Newton, IA | 15,692 | 12.4% | $161,059 | 34.0% | 28.3% |
| 77 | Denison, IA | 8,316 | 20.9% | $162,813 | 17.0% | 43.81% |
| 78 | Clarinda, IA | 5,371 | 11.8% | $116,188 | 24.0% | 25.66% |
| 79 | Red Oak, IA | 5,563 | 18.6% | $106,242 | 32.0% | 28.96% |
| 80 | Keokuk, IA | 9,868 | 19.3% | $77,849 | 23.0% | 29.06% |
| 81 | Anamosa, IA | 5,493 | 19.1% | $220,620 | 19.0% | 33.85% |
| 82 | Oelwein, IA | 5,934 | 17.5% | $97,930 | 32.0% | 27.44% |
| 83 | Marshalltown, IA | 27,511 | 14.3% | $148,067 | 23.0% | 36.74% |
| 84 | Perry, IA | 7,875 | 13.9% | $141,243 | 20.0% | 28.23% |