When you think of relocating somewhere, Iowa, Illinois, or really the Midwest as a whole, aren't the first places that come to mind. Because we live here, we want to move to places like out west, to the south, or maybe out east. Well, a new study shows that Iowa, and really mostly the Midwest, are some of the top relocation destinations in the country.

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The team at My Baggage wanted to find out the best and worst states to emigrate to in the U.S. To do so, My Baggage analyzed relevant living factors from all 50 states.

The same metrics from each state were analyzed which included:

  • Property prices
  • Happiness
  • Annual income
  • Unemployment figures
  • Hours of sunshine
  • Cost of living
  • Job prospects
  • Net migration

My Baggage took each of those data values and compared them across locations and then was given a corresponding score. The scores were added up and a final US Relocation Index Score was given to each state. The index score is out of a total of 100 and a lot of the Midwest states scored very high with Iowa being one of them.

My Baggage found Iowa to be the 4th best state to relocate to. Iowa's low cost of living definitely helped because we have the 5th cheapest average home value at $164,388. Iowa also has above average annual income at $32,176.

Iowa's relocation index score was 91 out of 100 which makes it the 4th state to relocate to in the US.

The #1 best state to relocate to is Nebraska. Come this fall, it will be the worst state to watch college football in. GO HAWKS!

LOOK: Here are the 25 best places to live in Iowa

Stacker compiled a list of the best places to live in Iowa using data from Niche. Niche ranks places to live based on a variety of factors including cost of living, schools, health care, recreation, and weather. Cities, suburbs, and towns were included. Listings and images are from realtor.com.

On the list, there's a robust mix of offerings from great schools and nightlife to high walkability and public parks. Some areas have enjoyed rapid growth thanks to new businesses moving to the area, while others offer glimpses into area history with well-preserved architecture and museums. Keep reading to see if your hometown made the list.

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