Quality of life comparison
If you lived in New York instead of Iowa, you would:
Health
be 22.7% less likely to be obese
In Iowa, 38.7% of adults are obese as of 2022. In New York, that number is 29.9% of people as of 2022.
Economy
make 44.3% more money
Iowa has a GDP per capita of $63,747 as of 2024, while in New York, the GDP per capita is $91,992 as of 2024.
be 33.3% more likely to be unemployed
In Iowa, 3.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In New York, that number is 4.4% as of 2025.
be 26.7% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Iowa, 10.5% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In New York, however, that number is 13.3% as of 2023.
Safety
be 37.6% 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 New York, that number is 381 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 23.4% 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 New York, that number is 1,760 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
earn 15.6% more money
The median household income in Iowa is $73,147 as of 2023, while in New York, it is $84,578 as of 2023.
pay 2.1 times more for a home
The median home value in Iowa is $195,900 as of 2023, compared to $403,000 in New York as of 2023.
pay 66.1% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Iowa is $949 as of 2023, while in New York, it is $1,576 as of 2023.
be 24.1% less likely to own your home
In Iowa, 71.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied as of 2023. In New York, that number is 54.3% as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 22.0% less likely to smoke
In Iowa, 16.4% of adults smoke as of 2022. In New York, that number is 12.8% as of 2022.
be 35.8% 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 New York, that number is 27.7% as of 2023.
be 2.9 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 New York, that number is 9.1% as of 2023.
commute 13.0 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in Iowa takes 19.8 minutes as of 2023. In New York, it takes 32.8 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 7.3 times more densely populated
Iowa has a population density of 22.2 people per sq km as of 2023. In New York, that number is 161.4 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 52.7% more likely to be food insecure
In Iowa, 7.4% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In New York, that number is 11.3% 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), Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
