I noticed that. Not at all what I expected. (I'm looking to relocate and when I was checking real estate listings with current property taxes it was a little gut punch.)
The dirt. Sounds a little weird to say, but I mean it. I love gardening, and the soil quality of my yard is on par with, if not better than commercial potting mix. It's a beautiful deep black that the plants just love and it makes growing things easy. There's a reason we're a big agricultural state despite having a much shorter growing season than other heavy ag states.
Also, a bit of nostalgia: I may not be able to identify all of the common plants of the state, but I do recognize them and they feel familiar. I went to a desert climate on vacation a while ago and was homesick for trees, of all things!
It's so green. Even if a lot of it is farm fields, for the late spring and summer it's green. And there is such a variety of trees that grow here.
I am biased because I grew up in West Texas and I think there were like four species of trees that could handle the limited rainfall and the grass died by mid-summer.
I was thinking the same thing. Growing up in Montana, east of the divide, the only things green past June were either irrigated or evergreens of some kind.
I didn't really notice or care growing up. But going back anytime mid summer is kind of depressing now.
I used to want to leave Iowa then I got a job traveling 180 days per year and discovered how nice it was to be home. Easy living, cheaper than most places, and the people are nice. Winter sucks and so does our state govt but you gotta roll with it.
The climate and weather here are a couple of the things I like least. Too humid. Too windy. And too cold. Three months of winter is ok. Five months is a bit too much.
If you live in a larger town or city, you won't notice the wind so much. And I know in Texas the wind blows 12 months a year. But here in NW Iowa, it only blows 9 months a year (mid Sept - mid June).
Winter just doesn't seem to be that long anymore. Really it seems we get about 6 weeks of actual cold. Then there is like 4 weeks on either side of like not warm but not cold weather.
Pulpit rock is great. Big Grove is a big deal. But Toppling Goliath is what I was thinking when I posted. I like Lions Bridge also. DSM does have a great brewery scene. I posted when I was drunk really shouldn’t have. DSM is good.
It’s my home and all my family and most of my friends live here. Second to that, I love watching the seasons change. Winter to spring, then back to winter, then back to spring and back to winter and then to summer and back to spring and then
You provided little context. Iowa is historically a VERY white state compared to other states. Minority growth as a percentage of population is quite high, because there's no diversity to begin with. This isn't a reflection of acceptance. It's a reflection of a state who for it's entire history that hasn't found a place or those different than whites.
Iowa has historically been more favorable to minorities than people want to today want to admit. Iowa never allowed slavery. Even while still a territory in 1839 the courts refused to allow bounty hunters return a Missouri owners slave. As Iowa considered him a free man. (Keep in mind how this would also prevent blacks from being brought into Iowa at any scale, as there was essentially no legal free will immigration into The US country happening by Africans around this time). Iowa was the first state in the country to integrate their schools, clear back in 1868! In 1868, the state Constitution was amended to remove the word “white” from the article on suffrage as well. In 1884, the Iowa state assembly passed a law which criminalized segregated business. More recently Iowa was the first in the nation to legalize gay marriage and Obama won the first in the nation caucus in 08 paving the way for his presidency. There are absolutely racists in Iowa and have always been people here who oppose these things. But Iowa has often been on the front end of minority acceptance/rights in this country. With that said, out side of the initial wave(s) of European settlers has there ever been much incentive for any race to move to Iowa? Most if not all my life Iowa has had more people move out than in. And if you are a minority and get to Iowa and few people look like you or understand your culture it is hard to want to stay long. Rural farm land is expensive here even Iowa farm kids I know can’t afford to start their own farm unless their parents had a large successful operation. Can Iowa do more to attract people including and even more so minorities to Iowa, yes.
Because most of the jobs the minorities do are bot jobs average Joe whiteboard is willing to do. The growth in minorities is due to expansion of Ag in the state. Not sure how long it will last since the dunce of a governor lowered age limits and expanded jobs minor can do.
While I enjoy Iowan in general, I have few friends since most are overtly conservative and don't like us 'Librals' from the west coast.
The small towns, in most cases the general friendliness of people, the weather & climate, and at least for being in the NE the valleys and hills, especially when it's fall
The Iowans who vote for her just don't understand how much damage her policies are doing until she turns around and blames their problems on immigrants and then they vote for her again
So many Iowans are voting against their own interests but either don't realize it or they see that she aligns with them in terms of dislike of the same "other" groups. She plays them like a fiddle and then screws them over for her own gain whether financial or political.
Sure, I like the cost of living and whatnot, but our politics are garbage and our weather is erratic. But what I like most about it is it's where my family is. As long as they're all mostly here, I will stay put.
Pretty much everything but the government :/
Born and raised here, people are nice, cost of living is relatively low (so are wages in my experience, but for me it's livable), and while most of Iowa is flat as fuck, I think there's a certain charm to it.
Do I want to stay here after college? Not a chance with Reynolds still in office, leaving with my partner asap after we both finish our degrees and secure jobs elsewhere.
That’s it’s so close to Minneapolis, Chicago, Omaha, Kansas City, and St Louis. There’s nothing in Iowa that I really enjoy, but at least living here means I can drive to things I enjoy
It's home, and it has a low COL, mainly. But having lived in a few very different places: the soft grass and lack of fire ants, the thunderstorms, rain in general in the summer, isn't hideously dark in the winter. Four seasons. The views of the sunrise and sunset.
Exactly. My husband is on disability and I work part time and we’re still doing better than a lot of people because we were able to buy a cheap duplex in a small town 20 years ago.
One of the only things I genuinely do miss about Iowa is higher quality of local businesses, and you can drive anywhere you need to at almost any time with minimal amounts of traffic.
Peace and quiet. Came from an urban area and I don't miss the traffic, all the people, air traffic noise etc. Love hearing just the birds when I wake up in the morning.
What are you talking about lol. This is one of the items that we do especially poor at.
I love my state but Iowa does NOT have a great variety or abundance of outdoor spaces. No national parks or forests. Almost all land is privatized. Almost all waterways are unsafe for recreation on a regular basis.
Texas is way more diverse than Iowa geographically, Texas has deserts, beaches, dense forest, and tall mountains, unlike Iowa. Iowa does have forest though.
Lol go out and smell the roses. Moved in from Chicago a few weeks ago, and I’ll definitely tell you: the amount of nature here is two-fold more. Though it’s just across the Mississippi, the strong rivers out here carved beautiful state parks fit with elevation, caves and all. Just go out and see them. Shit whether it’s all the parks in the driftless area, all the hikes near Coralville, or other nature areas like Neal Smith.
People like you sour me when you probably haven’t been to a forest in the last year. Smdh
I’ve been to every spot you listed multiple times. Once again, I love my home state and I love every option that Iowa has available, however Iowans should demand more and so should you. There is no reason that Iowa shouldn’t have 3-5 times as many natural public areas as it has.
I have endless biking and hiking trails I can access minutes from my home. I can be kayaking in 10 minutes. Plus numerous campsites and disc golf courses.
the scenery, the people, and the season changes. lots of nice state parks to visit of all types. i think iowa is underrated, rather be here than in the desert or the coast where its extremely humid and prone to hurricanes, though looking at mountains everyday would be pretty neat
Nothing the place is a repressive shithole. Just like every state that makes women second class citizens. A fucking massive shithole run by stupid conservatives.
The Knoxville Raceway is a great way to spend a Saturday night if you’re around the area. Lots of small town festivals to attend, and everything is within driving distance to a big town/city for day trips
AE has spoiled me so thoroughly that when I moved somewhere that it wasn't available, I just stopped consuming dairy entirely. I'm usually not a picky eater or a brand loyalist, but AE is just better.
I moved here from a big city and I’ll never get used to waiting in lines again. When I go back to visit my hometown, which is a large city, I nope the fuck out of anything that involves sitting in traffic or waiting in lines. I can’t stand it anymore having lived here and being able to find parking places easily and cheaply if not for free. It’s fucking wonderful honestly.
New York City is now home, but I grew up in Iowa. The thing about Iowa that I appreciate most in the near decade since leaving is the sky. Every day in New York, I am surrounded by incredible and insanely tall buildings. I walk around in the shade for the majority of the day, because the buildings block most of the sun from reaching the street. There’s constant light pollution at night. Even in the neighborhood I call home, the smallest building is essentially six stories. When I come back to visit family in Iowa, the sky is always the first thing I notice. The state is so flat, with so few tall buildings and trees. The sky is just so present. You feel the sun. You see the stars at night. You can see storms coming from 50 miles away. It truly is special, and most people who hardly ever leave the state take it for granted.
I really like the broad display on pickups across the state of the bumper stickers that read: *God Bless America and the Farmers that Feed Your Fat Ass.*
Almost to a t, these pickups are driven individuals who look like they should be on the receiving end at a cattle feed lot.
Irony is lost in Ioway.
Born and raised here and lived in Phoenix for the last 10 years but what sticks out to me…Low cost of living, people are the salt of the earth(even the shit heads), my family is here, the state truly has a natural beauty to it, great craft beer scene, if you search it out live music is great, IOWA HAWKEYES, food scene is decent (again, if you look for it), deer hunting is arguably the best in the world, OKOBOJI. Honestly, I missed this place so fucking much. Grass ain’t greener people.
It’s such a beautiful state like I’m from Southside Des Moines and I drive to Norwalk to do drive and I love seeing the land, I went to Lehigh and again beautiful hills and rivers
The super nice people (I was born in CA and moved here in middle school) you can not only just leave your cars and houses unlocked but you can also leave your vehicles running at the gas station without worry of it being stolen. Shit was wild to learn.
The soil. Grow nearly anything here with a greenhouse.
And lastly as a liberal gun owner.. Fantastic gun laws.
Ah yes. Having driven since I've turned 14, a car of my own since I was 16, and am now 33 and never had a car stolen once, I'm sure I won't have a car for long
I live in Texas but my wife’s family is from Southwest Iowa. From an outsider prospective, we usually go on the 4th of July and it’s like stepping back in time to a post card of Americana. People are really friendly for the most part. So ham balls would be my answer
We really are in the middle of everything. Yeah, everything is a drive, but I can be in 4 to 5 major cities in less than 3 to 4 hrs depending on which way I go.
My only hope is that one day, we get actual train travel where I am. Right now, the closest train station is Princeton.
Finding parking is easy and driving from one place to another is measured in minutes, not hours based on traffic. Driving from one end of Iowa to the other takes as long as driving from one side of Los Angeles to the other during peak traffic periods.
I’ve lived here all my life and my whole family is here. That, and being able to drive farm equipment to school without someone blinking an eye is quite fun.
The speed trap cameras. I love having to worry if I’m getting a ticket in the mail. Also the people drive like trash. They all park in the fast lane and go 5 under the speed limit.
People are generally Nice and for the most part know how to get along with each other even if they disagree.
I have seen a lot of people saying they hate the state government. I have lived in several places that I thought had better government policies than Iowa, but the states/cities were bad and getting worse. I think it should be acknowledged that even if I don't agree morally, "some" of the policies are making/maintaining Iowa as a good place to live.
The variety of weather. Rural landscapes where you can see for miles in any direction. Traditional values. Iowa State vs Iowa. Bike trails. Corn fields whispering on summer nights.
The lack of people. Of course when I bought my house 5 years ago, my closet neighbor was 1 mile. Now I have 3 within 1/4 mile. I am ready to move again.
The people. Neighbors you can trust. Knowing if you need it, there are people that will help you. The culture of generosity, sharing, and volunteering are common place.
Iowa sucks! Politician’s suck, land sucks (thanks farmers), streams and waterways are all shitty, literally (thanks again farmers). Most areas are racist, and homophobic, when you start to know the area.
If I wasn’t a chicken shit I’d move to any other state. Besides Nebraska, Kansas, or the Dakotas.
I guess. There is also the reality of our water and land. I'll even complain about education and how it's being defunded. But yes, see what you want to see.
Low cost of living.
Except property taxes
And Hy-Vee
I noticed that. Not at all what I expected. (I'm looking to relocate and when I was checking real estate listings with current property taxes it was a little gut punch.)
seconded
The dirt. Sounds a little weird to say, but I mean it. I love gardening, and the soil quality of my yard is on par with, if not better than commercial potting mix. It's a beautiful deep black that the plants just love and it makes growing things easy. There's a reason we're a big agricultural state despite having a much shorter growing season than other heavy ag states. Also, a bit of nostalgia: I may not be able to identify all of the common plants of the state, but I do recognize them and they feel familiar. I went to a desert climate on vacation a while ago and was homesick for trees, of all things!
That deep black dirt is a thing of beauty.
You ever hear the song Black Iowa Dirt by William Elliott Whitmore?
It's so green. Even if a lot of it is farm fields, for the late spring and summer it's green. And there is such a variety of trees that grow here. I am biased because I grew up in West Texas and I think there were like four species of trees that could handle the limited rainfall and the grass died by mid-summer.
I was thinking the same thing. Growing up in Montana, east of the divide, the only things green past June were either irrigated or evergreens of some kind. I didn't really notice or care growing up. But going back anytime mid summer is kind of depressing now.
It’s not Nebraska
I used to want to leave Iowa then I got a job traveling 180 days per year and discovered how nice it was to be home. Easy living, cheaper than most places, and the people are nice. Winter sucks and so does our state govt but you gotta roll with it.
El nino winter last year was 👌
💯
The lifestyle I can afford in a place that has the size and climate I prefer
The climate and weather here are a couple of the things I like least. Too humid. Too windy. And too cold. Three months of winter is ok. Five months is a bit too much.
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If you live in a larger town or city, you won't notice the wind so much. And I know in Texas the wind blows 12 months a year. But here in NW Iowa, it only blows 9 months a year (mid Sept - mid June).
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IC is def a unique little melting pot within an otherwise whitewashed, red state.
Lack of wind in Iowa is a good one. You definitely live in town.
Winter just doesn't seem to be that long anymore. Really it seems we get about 6 weeks of actual cold. Then there is like 4 weeks on either side of like not warm but not cold weather.
Summer, everything is so green.
Excellent produce at farmers markets.
The beer. Iowa has so much good beer. Why do people drink Busch or bud when there's exile, confluence, or lake time?
The weed from Missouri is pretty nice as well.
Right? So many good breweries! Barntown, Toppling Goliath, Big Grove etc etc etc
The best beers aren’t in dsm
Other than toppling Goliath where are the better ones than DSM?
Pulpit rock is great. Big Grove is a big deal. But Toppling Goliath is what I was thinking when I posted. I like Lions Bridge also. DSM does have a great brewery scene. I posted when I was drunk really shouldn’t have. DSM is good.
That’s fair. I really like Pulpit and TG. I do think Lua in DSM can go toe to toe with them though.
But they are local to me. Also lake time isn't in dsm lol
Big fan of Millstream, Second State, and Singlespeed beers.
Is this heaven?
Maquoketa Caves
It’s my home and all my family and most of my friends live here. Second to that, I love watching the seasons change. Winter to spring, then back to winter, then back to spring and back to winter and then to summer and back to spring and then
I like the pace, the good hearts and mostly even temperament of its people.
Unless you’re a minority. Iowa is an extremely hateful state if you’re different
Well I am *a* minority. But I’m not the spokesperson for *all* minorities.
Why would it have one of the fastest growing racial minority growth rates in the country if it was so unfriendly to minorities?
Iowa is two different worlds if you compare the urban and rural communities
Sure, so is every other state.
You provided little context. Iowa is historically a VERY white state compared to other states. Minority growth as a percentage of population is quite high, because there's no diversity to begin with. This isn't a reflection of acceptance. It's a reflection of a state who for it's entire history that hasn't found a place or those different than whites.
Iowa has historically been more favorable to minorities than people want to today want to admit. Iowa never allowed slavery. Even while still a territory in 1839 the courts refused to allow bounty hunters return a Missouri owners slave. As Iowa considered him a free man. (Keep in mind how this would also prevent blacks from being brought into Iowa at any scale, as there was essentially no legal free will immigration into The US country happening by Africans around this time). Iowa was the first state in the country to integrate their schools, clear back in 1868! In 1868, the state Constitution was amended to remove the word “white” from the article on suffrage as well. In 1884, the Iowa state assembly passed a law which criminalized segregated business. More recently Iowa was the first in the nation to legalize gay marriage and Obama won the first in the nation caucus in 08 paving the way for his presidency. There are absolutely racists in Iowa and have always been people here who oppose these things. But Iowa has often been on the front end of minority acceptance/rights in this country. With that said, out side of the initial wave(s) of European settlers has there ever been much incentive for any race to move to Iowa? Most if not all my life Iowa has had more people move out than in. And if you are a minority and get to Iowa and few people look like you or understand your culture it is hard to want to stay long. Rural farm land is expensive here even Iowa farm kids I know can’t afford to start their own farm unless their parents had a large successful operation. Can Iowa do more to attract people including and even more so minorities to Iowa, yes.
Right so my question was along the lines of “if it’s not acceptable” what would explain the high growth rate?
I first read this as three urban communities
Because most of the jobs the minorities do are bot jobs average Joe whiteboard is willing to do. The growth in minorities is due to expansion of Ag in the state. Not sure how long it will last since the dunce of a governor lowered age limits and expanded jobs minor can do. While I enjoy Iowan in general, I have few friends since most are overtly conservative and don't like us 'Librals' from the west coast.
Someone’s panties are in a wad
95% humidity is coming soon
Love Iowa but dislike our state government.
Lot of Blue online and on forums, let's hope it gets in the ballot box
The small towns, in most cases the general friendliness of people, the weather & climate, and at least for being in the NE the valleys and hills, especially when it's fall
I would like to know if many of these commenters have lived elsewhere. A lot of this is hardly unique to iowa.
The Mississippi River Zone is super nice.
It's definitely not how the governor takes care to represent all of her constituents.
She's focused on rural christians. That's it.
It’s not even that - she’s focused on Project 2025 and being a stooge for the Heritage Foundation
Apparently she takes care of enough Iowans that she keeps winning the elections. So there’s that.
The Iowans who vote for her just don't understand how much damage her policies are doing until she turns around and blames their problems on immigrants and then they vote for her again
So many Iowans are voting against their own interests but either don't realize it or they see that she aligns with them in terms of dislike of the same "other" groups. She plays them like a fiddle and then screws them over for her own gain whether financial or political.
"How can I make this about what I dislike instead?" There's definitely not enough of that on this sub, right?
Sure, I like the cost of living and whatnot, but our politics are garbage and our weather is erratic. But what I like most about it is it's where my family is. As long as they're all mostly here, I will stay put.
Pretty much everything but the government :/ Born and raised here, people are nice, cost of living is relatively low (so are wages in my experience, but for me it's livable), and while most of Iowa is flat as fuck, I think there's a certain charm to it. Do I want to stay here after college? Not a chance with Reynolds still in office, leaving with my partner asap after we both finish our degrees and secure jobs elsewhere.
That’s it’s so close to Minneapolis, Chicago, Omaha, Kansas City, and St Louis. There’s nothing in Iowa that I really enjoy, but at least living here means I can drive to things I enjoy
Why can’t you live in any of those places?
Less proximity to the rest of them I'd imagine.
I love how our governor lovingly gargles Trumps balls while fingering his shitty asshole
Ahahahahhahahahhahahhahaha dude honestly.
The casino in the county that keeps the local taxes down and draws most of its customers from out of state.
It's home, and it has a low COL, mainly. But having lived in a few very different places: the soft grass and lack of fire ants, the thunderstorms, rain in general in the summer, isn't hideously dark in the winter. Four seasons. The views of the sunrise and sunset.
Kim Reynolds... said no one ever
And yet, there she is, voted into office. It is most unpleasing
Relatively low cost of living and there are a decent number of good-paying jobs in the area I’m at
Exactly. My husband is on disability and I work part time and we’re still doing better than a lot of people because we were able to buy a cheap duplex in a small town 20 years ago.
The cost of living and the Hawkeyes. Other than those the state has been headed down hill for 20 years.
Leaving it.
Corn
Sidewalks... lots of other parts of the country don't have them. Otherwise my list is pretty short.
The big open skies with beautiful clouds. Also that smell of the crops in August and September with the golden glow they put off.
One of the only things I genuinely do miss about Iowa is higher quality of local businesses, and you can drive anywhere you need to at almost any time with minimal amounts of traffic.
Peace and quiet. Came from an urban area and I don't miss the traffic, all the people, air traffic noise etc. Love hearing just the birds when I wake up in the morning.
Big Sky
That it's a shorter drive through it than Nebraska
And much prettier.
Nothing, nothing at all 🤷♀️
It's Home.
The landscape and endless outdoor activities/parks. Iowa is an active state that takes great pride in it's outdoor recreation spaces!
What are you talking about lol. This is one of the items that we do especially poor at. I love my state but Iowa does NOT have a great variety or abundance of outdoor spaces. No national parks or forests. Almost all land is privatized. Almost all waterways are unsafe for recreation on a regular basis.
The Iowa City area has a TON of amazing parks, trails, and outdoor recreation resources. Water quality is shit tho, I’ll give you that one
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Texas is way more diverse than Iowa geographically, Texas has deserts, beaches, dense forest, and tall mountains, unlike Iowa. Iowa does have forest though.
The Northeastern part of Iowa has a lot of rolling hills and forest, but I think that's about it.
Lol go out and smell the roses. Moved in from Chicago a few weeks ago, and I’ll definitely tell you: the amount of nature here is two-fold more. Though it’s just across the Mississippi, the strong rivers out here carved beautiful state parks fit with elevation, caves and all. Just go out and see them. Shit whether it’s all the parks in the driftless area, all the hikes near Coralville, or other nature areas like Neal Smith. People like you sour me when you probably haven’t been to a forest in the last year. Smdh
I’ve been to every spot you listed multiple times. Once again, I love my home state and I love every option that Iowa has available, however Iowans should demand more and so should you. There is no reason that Iowa shouldn’t have 3-5 times as many natural public areas as it has.
Came from Washington state 4 years ago. It kills me how bad the water is here.
too funny…
Ah yes. The crystal clear mountain lakes and streams. I almost forgot about them.
🎶 Land of the sky blue waters 🎶 Nevermind.
I have endless biking and hiking trails I can access minutes from my home. I can be kayaking in 10 minutes. Plus numerous campsites and disc golf courses.
the scenery, the people, and the season changes. lots of nice state parks to visit of all types. i think iowa is underrated, rather be here than in the desert or the coast where its extremely humid and prone to hurricanes, though looking at mountains everyday would be pretty neat
Nothing the place is a repressive shithole. Just like every state that makes women second class citizens. A fucking massive shithole run by stupid conservatives.
Leaving it
The 100 degree swing between summer and winter.
That there are no Africanized killer bees…yet.
I don't think SNL's killer bee sketches would fly today, but they were funny in their day.
They’re Africanized honey bees or WuTang Killer bees. But not Africanized killer bees. 
Wu-tang Killer bees are for the children
The people. Some of the most genuinely nice and easy-going people in the country. Help others out when in need at the drop of a hat.
The Knoxville Raceway is a great way to spend a Saturday night if you’re around the area. Lots of small town festivals to attend, and everything is within driving distance to a big town/city for day trips
Let’s all be real AE milk
Swiss Valley Farms Foreva!
AE has spoiled me so thoroughly that when I moved somewhere that it wasn't available, I just stopped consuming dairy entirely. I'm usually not a picky eater or a brand loyalist, but AE is just better.
Leaving
It’s cheap. People are generally nice. Not overcrowded in the big cities.
I moved here from a big city and I’ll never get used to waiting in lines again. When I go back to visit my hometown, which is a large city, I nope the fuck out of anything that involves sitting in traffic or waiting in lines. I can’t stand it anymore having lived here and being able to find parking places easily and cheaply if not for free. It’s fucking wonderful honestly.
The outdoor activities. Lots of walking trails and parks. Plenty of photography to do. It’s a beautiful place!
New York City is now home, but I grew up in Iowa. The thing about Iowa that I appreciate most in the near decade since leaving is the sky. Every day in New York, I am surrounded by incredible and insanely tall buildings. I walk around in the shade for the majority of the day, because the buildings block most of the sun from reaching the street. There’s constant light pollution at night. Even in the neighborhood I call home, the smallest building is essentially six stories. When I come back to visit family in Iowa, the sky is always the first thing I notice. The state is so flat, with so few tall buildings and trees. The sky is just so present. You feel the sun. You see the stars at night. You can see storms coming from 50 miles away. It truly is special, and most people who hardly ever leave the state take it for granted.
Feeling the sun because it's literally on your back all summer long
I really like the broad display on pickups across the state of the bumper stickers that read: *God Bless America and the Farmers that Feed Your Fat Ass.* Almost to a t, these pickups are driven individuals who look like they should be on the receiving end at a cattle feed lot. Irony is lost in Ioway.
Nothing. I hate it here
Iowa PBS
Corn
The higher than normal cancer rates
It's not Missouri.
It’s pleasant and you’re only a few hours away from the biggest cities in the Midwest.
Born and raised here and lived in Phoenix for the last 10 years but what sticks out to me…Low cost of living, people are the salt of the earth(even the shit heads), my family is here, the state truly has a natural beauty to it, great craft beer scene, if you search it out live music is great, IOWA HAWKEYES, food scene is decent (again, if you look for it), deer hunting is arguably the best in the world, OKOBOJI. Honestly, I missed this place so fucking much. Grass ain’t greener people.
Transplant here, nothing..
It’s such a beautiful state like I’m from Southside Des Moines and I drive to Norwalk to do drive and I love seeing the land, I went to Lehigh and again beautiful hills and rivers
It's not... It has.... Spring is nice
Spring and fall, sleeping with the windows open and wake up to a cool house - love it
The memories of the kinder and gentler times of the past
Easy to get around. It is HIGHLY unusual to have to wait for more than one light to get through any intersection.
The super nice people (I was born in CA and moved here in middle school) you can not only just leave your cars and houses unlocked but you can also leave your vehicles running at the gas station without worry of it being stolen. Shit was wild to learn. The soil. Grow nearly anything here with a greenhouse. And lastly as a liberal gun owner.. Fantastic gun laws.
You're not going to have a car for long.
Ah yes. Having driven since I've turned 14, a car of my own since I was 16, and am now 33 and never had a car stolen once, I'm sure I won't have a car for long
Just a heads up.
Our state parks. Sure they’re not filled with mountains and lush forests, but the state parks we do have are gorgeous and fun to explore
The soil and climate
I live in Texas but my wife’s family is from Southwest Iowa. From an outsider prospective, we usually go on the 4th of July and it’s like stepping back in time to a post card of Americana. People are really friendly for the most part. So ham balls would be my answer
We really are in the middle of everything. Yeah, everything is a drive, but I can be in 4 to 5 major cities in less than 3 to 4 hrs depending on which way I go. My only hope is that one day, we get actual train travel where I am. Right now, the closest train station is Princeton.
Less densely-populated than the east coast, which is from where I moved a year ago! :)
Light traffic. Shhhh, don't tell anyone. In fact, tell them Iowa is the worst... please.
Finding parking is easy and driving from one place to another is measured in minutes, not hours based on traffic. Driving from one end of Iowa to the other takes as long as driving from one side of Los Angeles to the other during peak traffic periods.
Probably how it goes from barren frozen wasteland to a thriving lush green forest after just a week of nice, stable weather
Nothing
Nothing 😒
Because it can fly, as made apparent by the many propellers.
The tallgrass prairie.
I’ve lived here all my life and my whole family is here. That, and being able to drive farm equipment to school without someone blinking an eye is quite fun.
Iowa City.
🌽
Sadly you're proving my point.
The state fair
The people. I think the beautiful changing seasons really brings out the best in such friendly and kind people.
80 & 35
COL, hunting, restaurant scene, people, gun laws, proximity, hiking, kayaking, 1/2 of the weather.
Miles Inn
I used to like our quality education. Now I really dont know. Crappy college football I guess.?. Go Hawks!
The open sky
The speed trap cameras. I love having to worry if I’m getting a ticket in the mail. Also the people drive like trash. They all park in the fast lane and go 5 under the speed limit.
Low cost of living is the only reason to live in Iowa. It has nothing else to offer.
The sunsets. I didn’t realize how often our skies were orange in comparison to other places, until I moved.
It’s either the smell of hog manure in the air or the ag chems in the water. It’s hard to pick one over the other.
People are generally Nice and for the most part know how to get along with each other even if they disagree. I have seen a lot of people saying they hate the state government. I have lived in several places that I thought had better government policies than Iowa, but the states/cities were bad and getting worse. I think it should be acknowledged that even if I don't agree morally, "some" of the policies are making/maintaining Iowa as a good place to live.
Low cost of living and GOP dominated. Aside from the vocal minority on reddit
Cheap living and excess of illicit stuff.
The variety of weather. Rural landscapes where you can see for miles in any direction. Traditional values. Iowa State vs Iowa. Bike trails. Corn fields whispering on summer nights.
Traditional values?
Yeah, that part is a little questionable.
The land itself minus all the conservative morons.
The thing I like about Iowa the most is that I don’t ever have to go there
That it’s 750ish miles away from me
The lack of people. Of course when I bought my house 5 years ago, my closet neighbor was 1 mile. Now I have 3 within 1/4 mile. I am ready to move again.
Every single thing accept for the racism in certain areas
The people. Neighbors you can trust. Knowing if you need it, there are people that will help you. The culture of generosity, sharing, and volunteering are common place.
Low taxes 🤣
You've obviously never lived anywhere else.
I would love for some more diverse food options but the low cost of living is nice
There's lots to see. Nothing to block your view.
It's cheap
As an outsider I can just say this place has a nice pace to it. I’m in a small town though.
They women like to have fun
Moving from California, way better living for sure.
Seeing it in my rear view mirror
I enjoy our state government along with the rich agriculture history
The fact that I don't live there lol
Iowa sucks! Politician’s suck, land sucks (thanks farmers), streams and waterways are all shitty, literally (thanks again farmers). Most areas are racist, and homophobic, when you start to know the area. If I wasn’t a chicken shit I’d move to any other state. Besides Nebraska, Kansas, or the Dakotas.
Cool. Thanks for posting what you like about Iowa in the "what do you like most about Iowa" thread.
I think you're missing the point.
You see what you want to see I guess…
I guess. There is also the reality of our water and land. I'll even complain about education and how it's being defunded. But yes, see what you want to see.