Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
No jokes or insults here, please. Let's keep it financial.
Grew up in Iowa. Traveled the entire country, and now live in SoCal.
When you visit cost-of-living calculator websites, Iowa cities tend to come up spot on to what is considered an average of national averages. Homes can be had for $75k on the low end, $150k in the middle and $250k+ on the upper ends. Education system is pretty fair for all income groups and neighborhoods. Food prices are in line, etc. Wages vary from $9/hr in the newspaper all the way up to $100k+ for the high per capita numbers of management, finance, and engineering positions in the state. Gas prices are pennies below the nat. avg. of $2.43 today.
Compared to, say, CA, where home prices are much higher than median wages. There are a lot of jobs paying $10/hr Inland SoCal, where as $10/hr you can still manage to live alone in the Midwest you have no chance in CA. There are also a lot of jobs paying millions in SoCal, justifying expensive areas same as NYC. Poorer suburbs in SoCal have poorer performing schools, across the range of entire cities. Compare cities educational systems like Rialto to Rancho Cucamonga, or Cerritos to Bellflower and Cudahy.
I actually use Iowa as a benchmark to compare cities, states, prices, etc. Things there seem to be quite average. Puts things in perspective when comparing to where you may live now.
Depends on your benchmark. For average college entrance scores the upper Midwest and Plains states are ALWAYS at the top. Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, etc. I grew up in South Dakota but got a grad degree in California and thought I was back in grade school. Very inferior educational system for the most part. Weather was better though.
I have driven through Iowa a great many times. On one trip I noticed a very large farm and farmhouse. Next to the house, less than a 100' away, was a pile of manure bigger than the house. Even from a half mile away, there was no doubt about the odor. When I think about Iowa I cannot help but think about that pile of manure and the huge amount of land where it could have been placed. This may not have been typical of Iowa, but I am still glad I never lived there.
I have driven through Iowa a great many times. On one trip I noticed a very large farm and farmhouse. Next to the house, less than a 100' away, was a pile of manure bigger than the house. Even from a half mile away, there was no doubt about the odor. When I think about Iowa I cannot help but think about that pile of manure and the huge amount of land where it could have been placed. This may not have been typical of Iowa, but I am still glad I never lived there.
Ever driven through Harris Ranch area in CA ? Smells like s;&$ for half an hour!
Depends on your benchmark. For average college entrance scores the upper Midwest and Plains states are ALWAYS at the top. Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, etc. I grew up in South Dakota but got a grad degree in California and thought I was back in grade school. Very inferior educational system for the most part. Weather was better though.
agree.... The public school/test results in these states (Wisconsin also) seem to be, in general, above the national average (will not include Illinois on this list ) These states always seem to appear at the top of the school/test result lists (along with a few eastern states, like Vermont).
I lived in Iowa for a year and couldn't wait to leave.
Yes, the state scores well on a lot of metrics. However, it is flat, isolated, boring, and has the most extreme weather I've ever seen. I found the people to not be friendly at all. Maybe I could appreciate it at some point, but I just tell people I forget I ever lived there.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
) These states always seem to appear at the top of the school/test result lists (along with a few eastern states, like Vermont).
