Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Montana instead of Iowa, you would:
Health
be 17.8% less likely to be obese
In Iowa, 38.7% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Montana, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2022.
be 20.2% less likely to have diabetes
In Iowa, 9.9% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In Montana, that number is 7.9% as of 2022.
Economy
make 16.9% less money
Iowa has a GDP per capita of $63,747 as of 2024, while in Montana, the GDP per capita is $52,945 as of 2024.
be 12.1% more likely to be unemployed
In Iowa, 3.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Montana, that number is 3.7% as of 2025.
Safety
be 57.8% 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 Montana, that number is 437 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 27.2% 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 Montana, that number is 1,815 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 72.6% more for a home
The median home value in Iowa is $195,900 as of 2023, compared to $338,100 in Montana as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 16.9% less likely to be physically inactive
In Iowa, 24.9% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In Montana, that number is 20.7% as of 2022.
live among residents who are 1.6 years older on average
The median age in Iowa is 38.6 years as of 2023. In Montana, the median age is 40.2 years as of 2023.
live in an area that is 86.5% less densely populated
Iowa has a population density of 22.2 people per sq km as of 2023. In Montana, that number is 3.0 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 13.7% 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 Montana, that number is 23.2% as of 2023.
be 70.2% more likely to be uninsured
In Iowa, 4.7% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Montana, that number is 8.0% as of 2023.
be 67.7% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Iowa, 3.1% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Montana, that number is 1.0% as of 2023.
be 10.8% more likely to be food insecure
In Iowa, 7.4% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Montana, that number is 8.2% 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), Bureau of Economic Analysis, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
