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Iowa · Retirees

Best cities in Iowa
for retirees (2026)

Ames tops the Iowa ranking for retirees with an UrbRank Score of 62/100. See the full state ranking below.

What matters for retirees

25% climate, 25% affordability, 20% safety, 20% walkability, 10% environment.

Iowa ranking

12 scored cities in Iowa, ranked by UrbRank Score.

1
AmesIA
62
C+
2
AnkenyIA
59
C
3
Iowa CityIA
58
C
4
WaterlooIA
57
C
5
DubuqueIA
54
C-
6
Sioux CityIA
53
C-
7
Des MoinesIA
53
C-
8
Cedar RapidsIA
51
C-
9
DavenportIA
47
D
10
Council BluffsIA
47
D
11
UrbandaleIA
46
D
12
West Des MoinesIA
41
D

Top cities for retirees nationally

How Iowa's best stack up against the rest of the country.

1
ScrantonPA
80
A-
2
BlacksburgVA
80
B+
3
LakelandFL
78
B+
4
Wilkes-BarrePA
78
B+
5
HarlingenTX
77
B+
6
BendOR
77
B+
7
BiloxiMS
77
B+
8
Johnson CityTN
77
B+
9
AuburnAL
76
B+
10
CharlotteNC
75
B+

See the full national ranking →

Nearby states

Illinois
Indiana
Kansas
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri