Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Mississippi instead of Iowa, you would:
Health
live 5.6 years less
In Iowa, the average life expectancy is 78 years (76 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020. In Mississippi, that number is 72 years (71 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2020.
be 37.4% more likely to have diabetes
In Iowa, 9.9% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In Mississippi, that number is 13.6% as of 2022.
Economy
make 34.5% less money
Iowa has a GDP per capita of $63,747 as of 2024, while in Mississippi, the GDP per capita is $41,778 as of 2024.
be 75.2% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Iowa, 10.5% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Mississippi, however, that number is 18.4% as of 2023.
Safety
be 27.2% less likely to be a victim of violent crime
Iowa has a violent crime rate of 277 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Mississippi, that number is 202 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 10.7% 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 Mississippi, that number is 1,579 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 17.6% less for a home
The median home value in Iowa is $195,900 as of 2023, compared to $161,400 in Mississippi as of 2023.
earn 24.9% less money
The median household income in Iowa is $73,147 as of 2023, while in Mississippi, it is $54,915 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 5.8 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in Iowa takes 19.8 minutes as of 2023. In Mississippi, it takes 25.6 minutes as of 2023.
be 2.4 times more likely to be uninsured
In Iowa, 4.7% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Mississippi, that number is 11.3% as of 2023.
be 14.6% more likely to smoke
In Iowa, 16.4% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Mississippi, that number is 18.8% as of 2022.
be 27.3% more likely to be physically inactive
In Iowa, 24.9% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In Mississippi, that number is 31.7% as of 2022.
be 21.1% less 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 Mississippi, that number is 16.1% as of 2023.
be 54.8% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Iowa, 3.1% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Mississippi, that number is 1.4% as of 2023.
be 2.2 times more likely to be food insecure
In Iowa, 7.4% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Mississippi, that number is 16.3% 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), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
