Best Nursing Homes in Iowa (2026 Rankings)

Top 20 facilities ranked by CMS star rating, staffing, and quality measures

390 total facilities87 five-star ratedAvg rating: 3.1 / 5

Top 20 Nursing Homes in Iowa

1
Childserve Habilitation Center
Johnston, 74 beds
5/5
2
Deerfield Health Care Center
Urbandale, 30 beds
5/5
3
Mississippi Valley
Keokuk, 83 beds
5/5
4
Oaknoll Retirement Residence
Iowa City, 70 beds
5/5
5
Sunrise Retirement Community
Sioux City, 74 beds
5/5
6
Meth-Wick Health Center
Cedar Rapids, 69 beds
5/5
7
Scottish Rite Park Inc
Des Moines, 51 beds
5/5
8
Friendship Village Retirement
Waterloo, 72 beds
5/5
9
Story Medical Senior Care
Nevada, 60 beds
5/5
10
Green Hills Health Care Center
Ames, 56 beds
5/5
11
Spurgeon Manor
Dallas Center, 55 beds
5/5
12
Fellowship Village
Inwood, 40 beds
5/5
13
Humboldt County Memorial Hospital
Humboldt, 28 beds
5/5
14
Park Place
Mount Pleasant, 49 beds
5/5
15
Newton Village Health Care Center
Newton, 24 beds
5/5
16
Walnut Ridge
Clive, 60 beds
5/5
17
Twilight Acres
Wall Lake, 39 beds
5/5
18
St Francis Manor
Grinnell, 78 beds
5/5
19
Mayflower Home
Grinnell, 40 beds
5/5
20
Hegg Memorial Health Center
Rock Valley, 60 beds
5/5

Rankings based on CMS Overall Star Rating. Ties broken by staffing hours then quality rating. Data updated 2026.

Nursing Home Costs in Iowa

$295/day
Private Room (daily)
$8,965/mo
Private Room (monthly)
$269/day
Semi-Private (daily)
$8,177/mo
Semi-Private (monthly)
$188/day
Medicaid Rate (approx)

Source: CareScout/Genworth Cost of Care Survey 2025. Private-pay rates shown.

Inspection Summary for Iowa

386
Total Inspections
8,184
Total Deficiencies
21.2
Avg Deficiencies / Facility
44.6%
Infection Control Issues

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best nursing home in Iowa?

Based on CMS data, Childserve Habilitation Center in Johnston ranks first with an overall rating of 5/5 stars. The top-rated facilities in Iowa are listed above, sorted by CMS star rating and supplementary quality measures.

How much do nursing homes cost in Iowa?

The average cost of a nursing home in Iowa is $295/day for a private room ($8,965/month). Semi-private rooms average $269/day. Medicaid reimburses approximately $188/day for eligible residents.

How are these rankings determined?

Rankings use the CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) Overall Star Rating as the primary criterion. Ties are broken by total nurse staffing hours per resident day, then by quality measure ratings. All data is sourced from the CMS Nursing Home Care Compare dataset.

All nursing homes in IowaBest by state index