This past spring MCI announced that it was partnering with Northwest Iowa Telephone and Northwest Iowa Power Cooperative to form Pioneer Holdings, LLC, a new company whose mission is to bring cutting-edge and competitively priced communications services to rural areas. Advantage Iowa has received numerous accolades for its fine quality of life. The Children's Rights Council ranked Iowa fifth in the nation in its 1997 list of the best states to raise a child. States were rated on factors including high school graduation rate, crime index, number of births to unwed mothers, teenage pregnancy rate, divorce rate, number of children in poverty, infant mortality rate, and number of single parents. The state also has been cited as a top retirement destination by Fortune magazine.
Residents get a lot for their money in Iowa.
Housing prices average 23 percent below the Midwest median and 36 percent below the national median. The educational system is also excellent. The state boasts one of the nation's top high school graduation rates, and students consistently score among the top five states in ACT and SAT scores. Higher education is also excellent, with institutions such as the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, Grinnell College, Dordt College, Buena Vista College, Drake University, and the University of Northern Iowa. With a violent crime rate that is 44 percent lower than the national average, residents feel secure.