Iowa Values

The Principles That Define Iowa

Iowa is more than a place on a map. It is a way of life.

Iowans are raised to believe that character matters. That people should work hard, tell the truth, help their neighbors, and treat others with decency and respect.

These values are not trends. They are not slogans. They are not owned by any political party.

They are the principles that shape Iowa’s families, schools, churches, farms, small towns, workplaces, and communities.

These values have always been Iowa’s strength. They create trust, strengthen communities, and remind people that responsibility to others matters just as much as responsibility to ourselves.

At their core, Iowa values reflect several enduring beliefs that matter. Character, honesty, hard work, compassion, faith and humility, truth, respect, responsibility, and community all matter to Iowans.

These principles are not about perfection, and no person or institution lives up to them all the time. But they remain the standards Iowa strives toward. They represent the best of who we are and who we aspire to be.

In times of division, uncertainty, or hardship, values matter even more. They provide a moral compass.
They remind communities what leadership should look like. They help define what people should expect from one another, from institutions, and from public life.

Our Iowa Values pages exist to preserve, explore, and celebrate those principles. Not as abstract ideas, but as living standards reflected in everyday life.