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Best Cities for Families in Iowa

Strong schools, low crime, affordable homes and family-friendly commutes.

Retirees Remote Workers Families Young Professionals Affordability All Rankings →
All United States  ·  Iowa

How We Score

Each metric is normalized 0-100 across U.S. cities, then weighted and summed. Cities missing any metric are excluded.

Schools · 25% Safety · 20% Home Affordability · 15% Low Poverty · 10% Jobs · 10% Short Commute · 10% Education · 10%

Top 12 Families Cities in Iowa

Ranked by composite score across 7 weighted metrics.

#1
Score 82.7
Roland, IA
1,458 residents
Schools 6.8
Safety 29/100K
Home Affordability $173,100
#2
Score 78.5
Decorah, IA
7,597 residents
Schools 6.7
Safety 120/100K
Home Affordability $234,600
#3
Score 78
Manning, IA
1,474 residents
Schools 6.4
Safety 98/100K
Home Affordability $109,400
#4
Score 76
Ames, IA
66,112 residents
Schools 6.8
Safety 198/100K
Home Affordability $263,800
#5
Score 75.1
Humboldt, IA
4,761 residents
Schools 6.4
Safety 0/100K
Home Affordability $162,600
#6
Score 74.7
Gilbert, IA
1,300 residents
Schools 6.8
Safety 120/100K
Home Affordability $267,200
#7
Score 74
Sioux Center, IA
8,335 residents
Schools 6.2
Safety 39/100K
Home Affordability $275,900
#8
Score 72.9
Orange City, IA
6,312 residents
Schools 6.2
Safety 16/100K
Home Affordability $245,300
#9
Score 72.8
Rock Valley, IA
4,061 residents
Schools 6.2
Safety 78/100K
Home Affordability $225,800
#10
Score 72.7
Lake Park, IA
1,191 residents
Schools 6.4
Safety 121/100K
Home Affordability $153,500
#11
Score 72.5
Osage, IA
3,578 residents
Schools 6.2
Safety 113/100K
Home Affordability $141,800
#12
Score 72.4
Sac City, IA
1,782 residents
Schools 6.0
Safety 97/100K
Home Affordability $106,400

Full Ranking, Iowa

Top 50 cities. Click any city to see its full profile.

1 Roland IA 82.7
2 Decorah IA 78.5
3 Manning IA 78
4 Ames IA 76
5 Humboldt IA 75.1
6 Gilbert IA 74.7
7 Sioux Center IA 74
8 Orange City IA 72.9
9 Rock Valley IA 72.8
10 Lake Park IA 72.7
11 Osage IA 72.5
12 Sac City IA 72.4
13 St. Ansgar IA 72.4
14 Jewell Junction IA 72.3
15 Sully IA 72.2
16 Hull IA 72.2
17 Norwalk IA 71.9
18 Milford IA 71.8
19 Reinbeck IA 71.8
20 Alton IA 71.7
21 Carroll IA 71.4
22 Knoxville IA 71.3
23 Fredericksburg IA 71.3
24 Story City IA 71.2
25 Nevada IA 71
26 Corning IA 71
27 Harlan IA 70.7
28 Perry IA 70.6
29 Fairfield IA 70.5
30 Dike IA 70.2
31 Rockwell City IA 70.1
32 Adel IA 70
33 Manchester IA 70
34 Walnut IA 69.9
35 Dyersville IA 69.8
36 State Center IA 69.5
37 Larchwood IA 69.3
38 Glidden IA 69
39 Lenox IA 68.9
40 Aplington IA 68.8
41 Williamsburg IA 68.6
42 Grinnell IA 68.6
43 Vinton IA 68.6
44 Avoca IA 68.3
45 Northwood IA 68.2
46 Holstein IA 68.2
47 Jefferson IA 68.2
48 Marion IA 68.1
49 Nashua IA 68.1
50 Forest City IA 68

Roland, IA tops the list with a composite score of 82.7 out of 100, followed by Decorah and Manning. IA dominates the top 12 with 12 cities, reflecting strong performance across the weighted metrics for families.

Rankings combine 7 independent metrics: Schools, Safety, Home Affordability, Low Poverty, Jobs, Short Commute, Education. Cities are weighted to reflect what matters most to families, and any city missing one or more metrics is excluded to avoid artificially inflated rankings.

Explore Other Best Cities Rankings

Best Cities for Retirees
Low crime, warm climate, affordable cost of living and strong healthcare access.
Best Cities for Remote Workers
Strong broadband, affordable rent, low traffic and existing remote-work culture.
Best Cities for Young Professionals
High incomes, educated peers, transit access and an under-35 demographic.
Most Affordable Cities
The lowest cost of living across home prices, rent, services and rent burden.

Related Single-Metric Rankings

Safest Cities → Most Affordable → Most Educated →