Iowa’s ‘Best County’ is One of the Fastest-Growing in the Country

If you want to live in the "best" county in Iowa, you're gonna want to move to the middle of the state! A new report from 24/7 Wall Street has named the best county to live in each state for 2024.

According to the article, all 99 Iowa counties were considered for the title of Iowa's "best county, but only one could be named the winner. That winner is Dallas County.

Dallas County is located in Central Iowa. Its biggest city is Waukee, but also includes cities like Adel, Clive, Grimes, Urbandale, Dexter, Perry, and Van Meter. The Wikipedia article for Dallas County says that "as of the 2020 Census, the population was 99,678, making it the seventh-most populous county in Iowa. Between 2010 and 2020, it was the fastest growing county in Iowa and one of the fastest growing in the country."

24/7 Wall Street named Dallas County the best county in Iowa for a few different reasons. The statistics note that the average life expectancy at birth is 81.8 years, the percentage of adults with a bachelor's degree is 51.5%, and the median household income is $99,533, all higher than the state averages. Plus, the poverty rate is 5.7%, which is lower than the state average of 11.1%.

Another great thing about Dallas County is that it's home to lots of great parks and outdoor recreation areas. There's the Big Bend Wildlife Area and Hanging Rock in Redfield, the Crellin Wildlife Refuge in Minburn, the Glissman Conservation Area in Adel, the Brenton Arboretum in Dallas Center, and the Kuehn Conservation Area in Earlham. The Raccoon River Valley Trail and the High Trestle Trail also run through the county.

Check out the full list of the best counties in all 50 states from 24/7 Wall Street HERE.