Six Iowa Cities Make the Cut on Annual Best Places List

If you've lived in Iowa your whole life, you realize this is a pretty great place to live. An annual list of the best cities in America agrees!

The Best Places to Live in America

U.S. News and World Report has put out its annual Best Places to Live rankings for 2026. The Des Moines Register reports that six Iowa cities made the list, with one central Iowa city in the top five! Congratulations to the city of Ankeny, Iowa, which came in at #4 on the Best Places to Live list. They moved all the way up from #18 in 2025!

What Makes Ankeny Such a Great Place to Live?

The Register reports that Ankeny has a lower cost of living than other cities of a similar size. The average salary is just over $108,000, the average commute time is around 20 minutes, and the unemployment rate is 2.25%, much lower than the national average. The city received an overall score of 7.1. The highest ranking a city got was a 7.2.

Ankeny city manager Mike Shrock stated in a news release that "Ankeny continues to stand out because of its high-quality services, safe neighborhoods, excellent schools, strong job market, and quality of life.”

What Other Iowa Cities Made the List?

Several other Iowa cities made the annual list. The Register reports that they include;

West Des Moines: 6.7 (40th)
Cedar Rapids: 6.1 (136th)
Council Bluffs: 6.1 (160th)
Dubuque: 5.9 (208th)
Sioux City: 5.9 (219th)

The city of Des Moines just missed out on the rankings, coming in at #288. The Register reports that other factors used in determining the top cities include quality of life, desirability, job market, and overall value.