Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Indiana instead of Iowa, you would:
Health
live 2.5 years less
In Iowa, the average life expectancy is 78 years (76 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020. In Indiana, that number is 75 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2020.
be 14.1% more likely to have diabetes
In Iowa, 9.9% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In Indiana, that number is 11.3% as of 2022.
Economy
be 18.2% less likely to be unemployed
In Iowa, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Indiana, that number is 2.7% as of 2025.
be 10.5% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Iowa, 10.5% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Indiana, however, that number is 11.6% as of 2023.
Safety
be 17.9% 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 Indiana, that number is 327 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 4.2 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in Iowa takes 19.8 minutes as of 2023. In Indiana, it takes 24.0 minutes as of 2023.
be 55.3% more likely to be uninsured
In Iowa, 4.7% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Indiana, that number is 7.3% as of 2023.
be 11.0% more likely to smoke
In Iowa, 16.4% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Indiana, that number is 18.2% as of 2022.
be 10.4% more likely to be physically inactive
In Iowa, 24.9% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In Indiana, that number is 27.5% as of 2022.
live in an area that is 3.3 times more densely populated
Iowa has a population density of 22.2 people per sq km as of 2023. In Indiana, that number is 74.1 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 41.9% more likely to be food insecure
In Iowa, 7.4% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Indiana, that number is 10.5% as of 2021.
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), OECD Regional Demography (2020–2023), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), Feeding America (2021). How we calculate this
