Iowa by the numbers
In Iowa, the median worker earns $47,670 a year, the typical home is worth $195,900 and carries $2,795 of property tax, and the average household pays $119 a month for electricity at 14.14¢ per kilowatt-hour.
Midwest MISO Regulated monopoly
Energy
Iowa generates more of its electricity from wind than any other state, more than half of in-state generation in recent years. Wind has effectively zero fuel cost, and Iowa's utilities own much of their fleet outright rather than buying it under contract, so the low marginal cost flows to ratepayers rather than to a merchant generator.
The state also has favourable structural conditions: flat terrain that makes distribution cheap to build and maintain, a large industrial and agricultural load that spreads fixed costs, and a regulatory framework that has supported utility-owned renewables through rate base rather than competitive procurement.
Iowa's rate was essentially flat year over year, one of only a handful of states that did not rise. That is what a mostly fuel-free generation fleet looks like when gas prices move.
Averaged across the twelve months to May 2026, Iowa households used 850 kilowatt-hours a month and paid $119. At the state median wage that is about 5.2 hours of work a month to keep the lights on. For heating, gas is still cheaper to run than a heat pump here, by about $2.74 per million BTU.
Work and pay
The median Iowa worker earned $47,670 in 2024, 3.7% below the national median. What distinguishes a state's labour market is rarely its biggest occupations, which are retail and food service everywhere, but what it has disproportionately.
| Occupation | Concentration | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural Technicians | 7.43× | $39,330 |
| Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 6.81× | $60,210 |
| Wind Turbine Service Technicians | 6.15× | $62,040 |
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers | 5.91× | $44,400 |
| Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians | 5.64× | $58,220 |
Property tax
The median Iowa homeowner pays $2,795 a year on a home worth $195,900, an effective rate of 1.43% against a national 0.98%. Nobody sets that rate. It is what falls out of county, city, school district and special district levies applied to an assessed value, so the state figure is a weighted average of 97 counties rather than a posted number.
Cost of living
Prices in Iowa run at 87.8 where the national average is 100, ranking it #48 of 51. Goods sit at 93.7, which is close to national almost everywhere because most goods are shipped and priced nationally. Rents sit at 65.3, and that is where states actually separate from one another. A median wage of $47,670 therefore buys what $54,294 buys nationally.
Metro areas priced separately: Omaha (91.9) , Des Moines-West Des Moines (91.7) , Iowa City (91.5) , Davenport-Moline-Rock Island (89.1) , Cedar Rapids (89.0) .
Housing
House prices in Iowa rose 2.3% over the year to 2026 Q2, against a median across all states of +2.7%. Over ten years the index is +73.2%. Prices are at or near their record level.
Metro areas tracked here: Omaha (+2.6%) , Des Moines-West Des Moines (0.0%) .
Who supplies the power
20 utilities report residential service in Iowa, together serving 1.2 million customers. Regulated monopoly.
Iowa: common questions
What does it cost to live in Iowa?
Prices overall run at 87.8 against a national average of 100, with rents at 65.3. The typical home is worth $195,900 and carries $2,795 a year in property tax, an effective rate of 1.43% against a national 0.98%. Electricity averages $119 a month at 14.14¢ per kilowatt-hour. Against that, the median wage is $47,670.
What is the property tax rate in Iowa?
The effective rate is 1.43% of home value, from a median bill of $2,795. It is set locally rather than by the state, so the figure is a weighted outcome across 97 counties. County by county rates.
Does a salary go further in Iowa?
The median wage of $47,670 buys what $54,294 buys nationally, once local prices are taken out. A state paying above the national median while charging above it for housing can leave a household no better off, and this is the arithmetic that shows which side of that line Iowa falls on.
Is Iowa expensive for electricity?
It ranks #43 of 51 jurisdictions on price at 14.14¢ per kilowatt-hour, -23.3% against the U.S. average. On the actual bill it ranks 43 of 51, because households there use 850 kWh a month against a national 871.
What is the median salary in Iowa?
$47,670 across all occupations, about $22.92 an hour, covering 1,561,660 wage and salary workers as of 2024.
Who supplies electricity in Iowa?
20 utilities report residential service, the largest being MidAmerican Energy Co with 632,436 customers. Regulated monopoly.
Electricity May 2026, gas 2024, utilities 2024, wages 2024. All figures from federal statistical agencies. Methodology · Sources