Everyone in Iowa is smart – and that’s a fact. With the highest literacy rates and the highest graduation rates in the nation, that’s pretty plain to see. But if you want to delve a little deeper into the subject and find out just where exactly the smartest people in our highly-educated state live, then we have good news for you, because the following 15 places are the smartest in Iowa:
- Sioux County
Wikimedia Commons 24.9% of residents in Sioux County have a bachelor’s degree or higher, placing them at No. 15 on the list of smartest places in Iowa.
- Dickinson County
Collin Ulness/Flickr It looks like the favorite vacation area of Dickinson County isn’t all play and no work after all, as the county is one of the most educated in the state, with 25.2% of residents having a bachelor’s degree or higher.
- Poweshiek County
David Wilson/Flickr 25.4% of Poweshiek County residents have a bachelor’s degree or higher, so it’s no surprise they made the list for smartest places in Iowa.
- Black Hawk County
Wikimedia Commons Black Hawk County is home to Cedar Falls, which is home to the University of Northern Iowa, so it isn’t surprising that it’s one of the smartest counties in the state, with 26.2% of residents having a bachelor’s degree or higher.
- Winneshiek County
Flickr/ Kent Kanouse 26.8% of Winneshiek County residents have a bachelor’s degree or higher. In a cultural city like Decorah (which is in Winneshiek County), it’s no surprise that citizens are highly-educated.
- Dubuque County
SD Dirk/Flickr In Dubuque County, 28.7% of residents have a bachelor’s degree or higher. It’s no surprise that Dubuque County is a highly-educated area, as the city of Dubuque alone is home to four different colleges/universities and three seminaries.
- Bremer County
Wikimedia Commons 28.2% of residents in Bremer County have a bachelor’s degree or higher, putting it in the top ten for smartest counties in Iowa.
- Warren County
Wikimedia Commons In Warren County, 28.5% of residents have a bachelor’s degree or higher, making it the eighth smartest county in the state.
- Linn County
Wikimedia Commons With 31.7% of Linn County residents having a bachelor’s degree or higher, Linn County is a pretty smart place to live.
- Scott County
Wikimedia Commons In Scott County, 31.8% of residents have a bachelor’s degree or higher. Davenport, one of the cities in the county, is home to Saint Ambrose University and Palmer Chiropractic College, which was the first chiropractic school in the world.
- Jefferson County
Wikimedia Commons With 33% of residents having a bachelor’s degree or higher, Fairfield ranks in the top 5 for smartest counties in Iowa. Fairfield is also home to Maharishi University of Management, a unique school that teaches principles of meditation.
- Polk County
Jason Mrachina/Flickr Polk County is the fourth most educated county in Iowa, with 35.4% of people having a bachelor’s degree or higher. While that number may not seem like a lot, that’s probably because Polk County is one of the most populated counties in the state.
- Dallas County
Wikimedia Commons The third most educated county in the state is Dallas County, where 43.7% of residents have a bachelor’s degree or higher. Dallas County is also one of the richest counties in Iowa, so that college degree must be paying off here.
- Story County
Wikimedia Commons Story County is home to Ames, which is home to Iowa State University, so of course it’s one of the most educated counties in the state, with 48.5% of residents having a bachelor’s degree or higher. Not to mention the fact that ISU created the first electronic digital computer, which takes a lot of brains I might add.
- Johnson County
Wikimedia Commons Johnson County is home to Iowa City, which is home to the University of Iowa, so it’s no surprise that it’s the smartest county in the state, with 51.7% of residents having a bachelor’s degree or higher. Iowa City is also one of six UNESCO Cities of Literature, alongside places like Dublin and Edinburgh.
Want to know how smart your city is? Check out the stats at Find The Home.
Wikimedia Commons
24.9% of residents in Sioux County have a bachelor’s degree or higher, placing them at No. 15 on the list of smartest places in Iowa.
Collin Ulness/Flickr
It looks like the favorite vacation area of Dickinson County isn’t all play and no work after all, as the county is one of the most educated in the state, with 25.2% of residents having a bachelor’s degree or higher.
David Wilson/Flickr
25.4% of Poweshiek County residents have a bachelor’s degree or higher, so it’s no surprise they made the list for smartest places in Iowa.
Black Hawk County is home to Cedar Falls, which is home to the University of Northern Iowa, so it isn’t surprising that it’s one of the smartest counties in the state, with 26.2% of residents having a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Flickr/ Kent Kanouse
26.8% of Winneshiek County residents have a bachelor’s degree or higher. In a cultural city like Decorah (which is in Winneshiek County), it’s no surprise that citizens are highly-educated.
SD Dirk/Flickr
In Dubuque County, 28.7% of residents have a bachelor’s degree or higher. It’s no surprise that Dubuque County is a highly-educated area, as the city of Dubuque alone is home to four different colleges/universities and three seminaries.
28.2% of residents in Bremer County have a bachelor’s degree or higher, putting it in the top ten for smartest counties in Iowa.
In Warren County, 28.5% of residents have a bachelor’s degree or higher, making it the eighth smartest county in the state.
With 31.7% of Linn County residents having a bachelor’s degree or higher, Linn County is a pretty smart place to live.
In Scott County, 31.8% of residents have a bachelor’s degree or higher. Davenport, one of the cities in the county, is home to Saint Ambrose University and Palmer Chiropractic College, which was the first chiropractic school in the world.
With 33% of residents having a bachelor’s degree or higher, Fairfield ranks in the top 5 for smartest counties in Iowa. Fairfield is also home to Maharishi University of Management, a unique school that teaches principles of meditation.
Jason Mrachina/Flickr
Polk County is the fourth most educated county in Iowa, with 35.4% of people having a bachelor’s degree or higher. While that number may not seem like a lot, that’s probably because Polk County is one of the most populated counties in the state.
The third most educated county in the state is Dallas County, where 43.7% of residents have a bachelor’s degree or higher. Dallas County is also one of the richest counties in Iowa, so that college degree must be paying off here.
Story County is home to Ames, which is home to Iowa State University, so of course it’s one of the most educated counties in the state, with 48.5% of residents having a bachelor’s degree or higher. Not to mention the fact that ISU created the first electronic digital computer, which takes a lot of brains I might add.
Johnson County is home to Iowa City, which is home to the University of Iowa, so it’s no surprise that it’s the smartest county in the state, with 51.7% of residents having a bachelor’s degree or higher. Iowa City is also one of six UNESCO Cities of Literature, alongside places like Dublin and Edinburgh.
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