Iowa took four of the top 15 best places to be a teacher, according to a new study that also dubbed the state “land of the learned.” Cedar Rapids ranked No. 2, Omaha-Council Bluffs ranked No. 4, Des Moines-West Des Moines ranked No. 6 and Davenport-Moline-Rock Island ranked No. 14.
SmartAsset, a personal finance technology company, analyzed data for nine metrics in 133 metro areas to determine the rankings. The metrics were: average incomes, income growth, employment growth, spending per student, union strength, housing costs, high school graduation rate, proficiency rates in math and English and violent crime rates.