Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Iowa instead of Alaska, you would:
Health
live 0.9 years longer
In Alaska, the average life expectancy is 77 years (76 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2020. In Iowa, that number is 78 years (76 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020.
be 21.3% more likely to be obese
In Alaska, 31.9% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Iowa, that number is 38.7% of people as of 2022.
be 13.8% more likely to have diabetes
In Alaska, 8.7% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In Iowa, that number is 9.9% as of 2022.
Economy
be 34.0% less likely to be unemployed
In Alaska, 5.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Iowa, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.
make 16.0% less money
Alaska has a GDP per capita of $75,882 as of 2024, while in Iowa, the GDP per capita is $63,747 as of 2024.
Safety
be 61.6% less likely to be a victim of violent crime
Alaska has a violent crime rate of 722 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Iowa, that number is 277 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 23.6% less likely to be a victim of property crime
Alaska has a property crime rate of 1,868 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Iowa, that number is 1,427 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 41.2% less for a home
The median home value in Alaska is $333,300 as of 2023, compared to $195,900 in Iowa as of 2023.
pay 31.6% less in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Alaska is $1,388 as of 2023, while in Iowa, it is $949 as of 2023.
earn 18.1% less money
The median household income in Alaska is $89,336 as of 2023, while in Iowa, it is $73,147 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 56.1% less likely to be uninsured
In Alaska, 10.7% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Iowa, that number is 4.7% as of 2023.
live among residents who are 3.0 years older on average
The median age in Alaska is 35.6 years as of 2023. In Iowa, the median age is 38.6 years as of 2023.
be 30.2% less likely to be food insecure
In Alaska, 10.6% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Iowa, that number is 7.4% as of 2021.
be 10.7% more likely to be physically inactive
In Alaska, 22.5% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In Iowa, that number is 24.9% as of 2022.
live in an area that is 44.4 times more densely populated
Alaska has a population density of 0.5 people per sq km as of 2023. In Iowa, that number is 22.2 people per sq km as of 2023.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Feeding America, OECD Regional Demography, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
