A new study from U.S. News and World Report is hailing what many Iowans have long known about their state—it’s one of the best places in the country.
The state ranks sixth best in the nation, according to the study, with only Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Washington surpassing it.
The reason Iowa is such a good place to live? The state ranked high for healthcare and education, the two factors weighted most heavily in the study. Low crime rates, relatively good infrastructure, capable government, and lots of opportunities also helped propel it into the top ten.
However, the only factor the study didn’t rank Iowa highly on is its economy. Since agriculture and manufacturing account for a crucial part of the state’s economy, recent downturns in these sectors are felt by the state as a whole, the Des Moines Register reported.
“Ag has been contracting now for the last a couple of years, especially on the crop side, and the broader Iowa economy is feeling the pinch,” Chad Hart of Iowa State University, told the paper.
However, low cost of living make Iowa an attractive place for small businesses and families. U.S. News and World Report points out that in Des Moines, the cost of doing business is 17 percent lower than the national average—a boon for small businesses on the rise.
And Iowa’s unemployment continues to fall, according to the latest figures from the Department of Labor, from 3.4 in January to 3.2 in February.
