Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Arizona instead of Iowa, you would:
Health
be 13.2% less likely to be obese
In Iowa, 38.7% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Arizona, that number is 33.6% of people as of 2022.
live 1.2 years less
In Iowa, the average life expectancy is 78 years (76 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020. In Arizona, that number is 76 years (76 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020.
Economy
be 21.2% more likely to be unemployed
In Iowa, 3.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Arizona, that number is 4.0% as of 2025.
be 13.3% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Iowa, 10.5% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Arizona, however, that number is 11.9% as of 2023.
Safety
be 43.8% more likely to be a victim of violent crime
Iowa has a violent crime rate of 277 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Arizona, that number is 398 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 22.8% more likely to be a victim of property crime
Iowa has a property crime rate of 1,427 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Arizona, that number is 1,752 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 83.2% more for a home
The median home value in Iowa is $195,900 as of 2023, compared to $358,900 in Arizona as of 2023.
pay 50.8% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Iowa is $949 as of 2023, while in Arizona, it is $1,431 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 17.1% less likely to smoke
In Iowa, 16.4% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Arizona, that number is 13.6% as of 2022.
be 2.1 times more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Iowa, 3.1% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Arizona, that number is 6.4% as of 2023.
commute 5.7 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in Iowa takes 19.8 minutes as of 2023. In Arizona, it takes 25.5 minutes as of 2023.
be 2.1 times more likely to be uninsured
In Iowa, 4.7% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Arizona, that number is 10.0% as of 2023.
live in an area that is 14.4% more densely populated
Iowa has a population density of 22.2 people per sq km as of 2023. In Arizona, that number is 25.4 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 33.8% more likely to be food insecure
In Iowa, 7.4% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Arizona, that number is 9.9% as of 2021.
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), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
