Updated · 2026 tax rules · Data: IRS, BLS, BEA, HUD · How we calculate

$25,000 a Year After Tax in Iowa

If you make $25,000 a year living in Iowa, you will take home $21,899 per year — $1,825 a month — after 2026 federal and state taxes (single filer). Adjust filing status, 401(k), and children below.

$25,000 in Iowa
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$21,899
per year · effective tax rate 12.4%
$1,825Monthly
$912Twice a month
$842Every 2 weeks
$10.53Hourly
  • Federal income tax$890
  • Social Security (6.2%)$1,550
  • Medicare (1.45%)$363
  • Iowa income tax$298
  • Take-home pay$21,899

Marginal rate: 10% federal + 3.80% state

$25,000 after tax breakdown

YearlyMonthlyBiweekly% of pay
Gross salary $25,000 $2,083 $962 100.0%
Federal income tax $890 $74 $34 3.6%
Social Security $1,550 $129 $60 6.2%
Medicare $363 $30 $14 1.5%
Iowa income tax $298 $25 $11 1.2%
Total tax $3,101 $258 $119 12.4%
Take-home pay $21,899 $1,825 $842 87.6%

By filing status

Single
$21,899
12.4% effective tax
Married, joint
$23,088
7.6% effective tax · one earner
Head of household
$22,704
9.2% effective tax

Is $25,000 enough? A 50/30/20 budget

Applying the popular 50/30/20 rule to your $1,825 monthly take-home pay:

Needs (50%)
$912
rent, utilities, groceries, insurance
Wants (30%)
$547
dining, travel, subscriptions
Savings (20%)
$365
emergency fund, retirement, debt

A common affordability rule is to keep rent under 30% of gross pay — about $625 a month on $25,000.

What $25,000 buys in Iowa cities

The median wage across all jobs in Iowa is $48,540 (BLS, May 2025), so $25,000 is 48% below the typical Iowa paycheck and below what three-quarters of workers here earn. Prices vary a lot within the state: Sioux City, IA stretches a paycheck furthest, while Omaha, NE is the costliest.

Metro areaPrice level1-BR rentRent shareLeft after rent / moBuying power*
Omaha, NE91.9$1,14463%$681$23,827
Des Moines, IA91.7$1,09260%$733$23,881
Davenport, IA89.1$92851%$897$24,584
Cedar Rapids, IA89.0$80044%$1,025$24,616
Iowa City, IA91.5$93251%$893$23,931
Waterloo, IA87.1$79343%$1,032$25,155
Sioux City, IA86.5$92551%$900$25,331
Dubuque, IA87.3$84146%$984$25,077
Ames, IA88.8$97553%$850$24,653

*Yearly take-home pay (on $25,000, single filer) in U.S.-average dollars. Price level: BEA RPP 2024 (U.S. = 100). Rent: HUD FY2026 one-bedroom fair market rent.

$25,000 after tax: best and worst states

Iowa ranks #18 of 51 for take-home pay on $25,000. You would keep the most in Alaska ($22,198) and the least in Oregon ($20,840) — a gap of $1,358 a year.

#StateState taxTake-homeMonthlyvs IA
1 Alaska $0 $22,198 $1,850 +$298
1 Florida $0 $22,198 $1,850 +$298
1 Nevada $0 $22,198 $1,850 +$298
1 New Hampshire $0 $22,198 $1,850 +$298
1 North Dakota $0 $22,198 $1,850 +$298
1 Ohio $0 $22,198 $1,850 +$298
1 South Dakota $0 $22,198 $1,850 +$298
1 Tennessee $0 $22,198 $1,850 +$298
1 Texas $0 $22,198 $1,850 +$298
1 Washington $0 $22,198 $1,850 +$298
18 Iowa $298 $21,899 $1,825 —
47 Maryland $824 $21,374 $1,781 −$526
48 Alabama $985 $21,213 $1,768 −$687
49 Massachusetts $1,030 $21,168 $1,764 −$732
50 Illinois $1,093 $21,105 $1,759 −$795
51 Oregon $1,358 $20,840 $1,737 −$1,060

About Iowa taxes

Iowa has a flat income tax of 3.80%. The state allows a $16,100 standard deduction for single filers ($32,200 for married couples), plus a $40 personal exemption credit.

A raise to $30,000 would add $3,898 to your yearly take-home pay in Iowa — you keep 78% of the extra $5,000.

Frequently asked questions

How much is $25,000 a year after taxes in Iowa?

A single filer earning $25,000 in Iowa takes home about $21,899 a year in 2026 after $3,101 in federal, state, Social Security and Medicare taxes — an effective tax rate of 12.4%.

How much is $25,000 a year per month after taxes in Iowa?

About $1,825 per month, $912 twice a month, or $842 per biweekly paycheck for a single filer.

What hourly wage is $25,000 a year?

$25,000 a year is $12.02 an hour before tax at 40 hours a week for 52 weeks (2,080 hours). After tax in Iowa it works out to about $10.53 an hour.

Is $25,000 a good salary in Iowa?

It depends heavily on where in Iowa you live and your household size. Compare it with typical pay and living costs for your city on our cost-of-living pages. As a rule of thumb, the 50/30/20 budget on this take-home pay leaves about $912 a month for needs, $547 for wants and $365 for savings.

Nearby salaries in Iowa