Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Maryland instead of Iowa, you would:
Health
be 13.7% less likely to be obese
In Iowa, 38.7% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Maryland, that number is 33.4% of people as of 2022.
Economy
be 14.3% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Iowa, 10.5% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Maryland, however, that number is 9.0% as of 2023.
be 12.1% more likely to be unemployed
In Iowa, 3.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Maryland, that number is 3.7% as of 2025.
Safety
be 51.7% 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 Maryland, that number is 420 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 43.2% 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 Maryland, that number is 2,043 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
earn 39.0% more money
The median household income in Iowa is $73,147 as of 2023, while in Maryland, it is $101,652 as of 2023.
pay 2.0 times more for a home
The median home value in Iowa is $195,900 as of 2023, compared to $397,700 in Maryland as of 2023.
pay 75.1% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Iowa is $949 as of 2023, while in Maryland, it is $1,662 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 26.8% less likely to smoke
In Iowa, 16.4% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Maryland, that number is 12.0% as of 2022.
be 12.4% less likely to be physically inactive
In Iowa, 24.9% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In Maryland, that number is 21.8% as of 2022.
be 42.6% more likely to have a bachelor's degree
In Iowa, 20.4% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2023. In Maryland, that number is 29.1% as of 2023.
be 2.4 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 Maryland, that number is 7.3% as of 2023.
commute 11.7 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in Iowa takes 19.8 minutes as of 2023. In Maryland, it takes 31.5 minutes as of 2023.
be 27.7% more likely to be uninsured
In Iowa, 4.7% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Maryland, that number is 6.0% as of 2023.
live in an area that is 11.1 times more densely populated
Iowa has a population density of 22.2 people per sq km as of 2023. In Maryland, that number is 245.6 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 29.7% more likely to be food insecure
In Iowa, 7.4% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Maryland, that number is 9.6% 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.
