Quality of life comparison
If you lived in North Carolina instead of Iowa, you would:
Health
be 13.2% less likely to be obese
In Iowa, 38.7% of adults are obese as of 2022. In North Carolina, that number is 33.6% of people as of 2022.
live 1.4 years less
In Iowa, the average life expectancy is 78 years (76 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020. In North Carolina, that number is 76 years (75 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2020.
Economy
be 15.2% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Iowa, 10.5% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In North Carolina, however, that number is 12.1% as of 2023.
Safety
be 36.6% 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 North Carolina, that number is 379 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 40.0% 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 North Carolina, that number is 1,998 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 32.4% more for a home
The median home value in Iowa is $195,900 as of 2023, compared to $259,400 in North Carolina as of 2023.
pay 22.4% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Iowa is $949 as of 2023, while in North Carolina, it is $1,162 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 11.0% less likely to smoke
In Iowa, 16.4% of adults smoke as of 2022. In North Carolina, that number is 14.6% as of 2022.
be 10.8% less likely to be physically inactive
In Iowa, 24.9% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In North Carolina, that number is 22.2% as of 2022.
be 10.3% 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 North Carolina, that number is 22.5% as of 2023.
be 54.8% more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Iowa, 3.1% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In North Carolina, that number is 4.8% as of 2023.
commute 5.3 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in Iowa takes 19.8 minutes as of 2023. In North Carolina, it takes 25.1 minutes as of 2023.
be 2.0 times more likely to be uninsured
In Iowa, 4.7% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In North Carolina, that number is 9.6% as of 2023.
live in an area that is 3.9 times more densely populated
Iowa has a population density of 22.2 people per sq km as of 2023. In North Carolina, that number is 86.2 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 51.4% more likely to be food insecure
In Iowa, 7.4% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In North Carolina, that number is 11.2% 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), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
