I moved from Iowa after living there all my life. This is the first time I have ever lived out of the state.
Couldn't be happier. High tax low wage state. Rapidly falling into debt, behaving like California the last few years.. Life long friend of mine is a State Senator I hear about it all the time he can't get anything done, not enough votes.
Gun laws are a crap shoot. Nothing over .50 cal (except muzzleloader). No SBR. No automatic weapons. No AOWs. No suppressors. The shall issue was "kind of" a big deal. Relatively few restrictions on concealed carry, I had a permit there for 17+ years. The shall issue was passed mostly by a very desperate Democratic controlled legislature and governor. My impression was they wanted to do something to stop the political bleeding. Most counties were already shall issue in practice, but a number of "metro" counties were not. I think the bigger part of that law is that for the first time Iowa will have some reciprocity with other states. Currently they recognize no out of state permits. Thats kinda of an Iowa thing, they just know better than everyone else. To be fair some parts of the state are better than others, where I was at was very difficult to live. More than just the weather.
One upside is if you like deer hunting we grew them like oversized rats, they had an endless food supply any where in the state. Please hunt them. I will have to go back there occassionally they are vehicle wrecking machines!
