Iowa Paycheck Calculator 2026
Enter your salary to see your Iowa take-home pay after federal and state taxes, FICA, and deductions. Instant results.
No local income tax applied. Select your city if you live in one that charges it.
What this paycheck affords in Iowa
Sized off $4,950/mo take-home, on a salary 4% above the Iowa median household income of $72,429. Every figure below is a spending rule of thumb, not a tax rule.
Rent
You can comfortably rent at
$1,485/mo
Up to $1,980/mo if you stretch, at 40% of take-home.
The average two-bedroom in Iowa is $1,088/mo — 22% of take-home, inside the comfortable range with $397/mo of room to spare.
Rent or buy at this budget? →Buying a home
You could buy a home up to
$255,598
That's a 2-bedroom home
With $51,120 down and about $1,750/mo in mortgage, property tax and insurance
That covers the median home in Iowa, at $210,000. Lenders size a mortgage off gross pay, so this one starts from $75,000 at a 28% debt-to-income ratio, 6.75% over 30 years, with Iowa property tax.
How much house can you afford on $75,000? →A car
A payment up to $495/mo — roughly a $28,000 car with 10% down, financed over five years at 7%.
Gas runs $3.19/gal in Iowa, so 12,000 miles a year at 25 mpg adds $128/mo. Together that is $623/mo, or 13% of take-home, before insurance and repairs.
What's left each month
About $1,538/mo left over — a 31% cushion for savings and everything unplanned.
Three months of essentials is $9,242. Saving the whole cushion builds that in 7 months.
Childcare sits outside this budget because it applies to some households and not others: center-based infant care in Iowa is $800/mo, 16% of take-home on its own.
Full cost of living in Iowa →Local costs from the MERIC 2025 cost-of-living index applied to BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey averages, with rent and home prices from Zillow and gas prices from AAA.
Federal tax brackets
Taxable income: $58,900
Estimate based on 2026 tax rates and standard deductions. Includes local income tax for 282 Iowa localities when selected in the calculator. Does not include itemized deductions, tax credits, or other individual circumstances. For official Iowa tax information, visit the Iowa Department of Revenue.
Iowa income tax: 3.80% flat rate
Iowa uses a flat income tax rate of 3.80%. All taxable income is taxed at the same rate regardless of how much you earn. This simplifies tax calculations — your state tax is simply your taxable income multiplied by 3.80%.
Pre-tax deductions like 401(k) contributions and Section 125 health insurance premiums reduce your taxable income before the flat rate is applied.
On a $100,000 salary in Iowa, you'd take home $76,032 after federal taxes, Social Security, and Medicare — an effective total tax rate of 24.0%, including the 3.80% flat state rate.
Iowa moved to a flat income tax rate of 3.80% in 2025, down from a multi-bracket system.
Iowa take-home pay by salary
| Gross salary | Take-home | Total tax | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $41,107 | $8,893 | 17.8% |
| $75,000 | $59,394 | $15,606 | 20.8% |
| $100,000 | $76,032 | $23,968 | 24.0% |
| $150,000 | $108,743 | $41,257 | 27.5% |
| $200,000 | $141,979 | $58,021 | 29.0% |
| $300,000 | $204,429 | $95,571 | 31.9% |
Single filer, biweekly pay. Includes federal tax, Iowa state tax, Social Security, and Medicare. No deductions.
Local income tax in Iowa
282 Iowa localities withhold their own income tax on top of state tax. The 0 largest have their own calculator pages; every rate is listed on the Iowa local income tax page .
Resources
- Iowa local income tax rates — every Iowa jurisdiction with a local tax, with sources
- Iowa Department of Revenue — official Iowa tax information
- IRS Tax Withholding Estimator — check your federal withholding
- SSA Retirement Estimator — estimate your Social Security benefits
Cost of living in Iowa
Cost of living in Iowa is 10% below the national average.
$210,000
$1,088/mo
$3.19/gal
$83/mo
$9,605/yr
Sources: MERIC/C2ER Cost of Living Index (2025), AAA Fuel Gauge Report (2025), EIA State Electricity Profiles (2024)
FAQ
What is the income tax rate in Iowa?
Iowa has a flat income tax rate of 3.80%.
How accurate is this Iowa paycheck estimate?
This provides a reasonable estimate using 2026 federal and Iowa state tax rates. Includes local income tax for 282 Iowa localities when selected in the calculator. It does not include state-specific deductions or credits, or other individual factors. Visit the Iowa Department of Revenue for official guidance.
What is the FICA tax rate in Iowa?
FICA is 7.65% — 6.2% Social Security (up to a $184,500 wage cap in 2026) and 1.45% Medicare. High earners pay an additional 0.9% Medicare tax on wages above $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (married filing jointly). FICA applies in every state, including Iowa.
What is the federal standard deduction for 2026?
The 2026 federal standard deduction is $16,100 for single filers, $32,200 for married filing jointly, and $24,150 for head of household (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32). The standard deduction reduces your taxable income before federal tax brackets are applied.
How do pre-tax 401(k) contributions affect my paycheck in Iowa?
Pre-tax 401(k) contributions reduce both your federal taxable income and your Iowa taxable income, which lowers federal and state withholding. FICA (7.65%) still applies to 401(k) contributions — they are pre-tax for income tax but not for Social Security and Medicare.
What is the difference between gross pay and net pay in Iowa?
Gross pay is your total earnings before any taxes or deductions. Net (take-home) pay is what's deposited into your bank after federal income tax, FICA (7.65%), Iowa state income tax, and any pre-tax deductions like 401(k) and health insurance are subtracted.
What is the cost of living in Iowa?
Living costs are 10% below the national average. Iowa's Regional Price Parity index is 90.2 (US average = 100). The median household income in Iowa is $72,429 as of 2023.
Compare
- Iowa Raise Calculator — see how a raise affects your take-home pay
- Compare with Minnesota
- Compare with Wisconsin
- Compare with Illinois
- Compare with Nebraska
- Compare with California
- Compare with Texas
- Iowa Cost of Living Calculator — compare expenses with any other state
- Iowa Tax Brackets — see marginal rates and bracket thresholds
- Iowa House Affordability — how much house can your paycheck support?
- Iowa Bonus Tax Calculator — see take-home on bonus income
- Salary to Hourly Converter — convert annual salary to hourly rate
- 401(k) Paycheck Impact — see how pre-tax contributions lower your taxable pay
- Commission Paycheck Calculator — withholding on commission and variable pay
- Take-Home Pay by State — compare net pay across all 50 states
- Federal Tax Calculator — federal income tax breakdown by bracket
- Marriage Tax Calculator — compare single vs married filing status
← Back to Paycheck Estimator · Compare take-home pay across all 50 states.