Quality of life comparison
If you lived in North Dakota instead of Iowa, you would:
Economy
make 24.4% more money
Iowa has a GDP per capita of $63,747 as of 2024, while in North Dakota, the GDP per capita is $79,272 as of 2024.
be 24.2% less likely to be unemployed
In Iowa, 3.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In North Dakota, that number is 2.5% as of 2025.
Safety
be 33.4% 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 North Dakota, that number is 1,904 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 23.1% more for a home
The median home value in Iowa is $195,900 as of 2023, compared to $241,100 in North Dakota as of 2023.
be 11.3% less likely to own your home
In Iowa, 71.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied as of 2023. In North Dakota, that number is 63.4% as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 1.8 minutes less
The average one-way commute in Iowa takes 19.8 minutes as of 2023. In North Dakota, it takes 18.0 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 80.2% less densely populated
Iowa has a population density of 22.2 people per sq km as of 2023. In North Dakota, that number is 4.4 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 28.4% less likely to be food insecure
In Iowa, 7.4% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In North Dakota, that number is 5.3% as of 2021.
be 36.2% more likely to be uninsured
In Iowa, 4.7% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In North Dakota, that number is 6.4% as of 2023.
live among residents who are 2.9 years older on average
The median age in Iowa is 38.6 years as of 2023. In North Dakota, the median age is 35.7 years as of 2023.
be 19.4% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Iowa, 3.1% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In North Dakota, that number is 2.5% as of 2023.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Feeding America, OECD Regional Demography, Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
