Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Carolina instead of Iowa, you would:
Health
live 2.7 years less
In Iowa, the average life expectancy is 78 years (76 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020. In South Carolina, that number is 75 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2020.
be 11.1% more likely to have diabetes
In Iowa, 9.9% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In South Carolina, that number is 11.0% as of 2022.
Economy
be 48.5% more likely to be unemployed
In Iowa, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Carolina, that number is 4.9% as of 2025.
be 22.9% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Iowa, 10.5% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In South Carolina, however, that number is 12.9% as of 2023.
make 21.7% less money
Iowa has a GDP per capita of $63,747 as of 2024, while in South Carolina, the GDP per capita is $49,914 as of 2024.
Safety
be 63.9% 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 South Carolina, that number is 454 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 48.3% 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 South Carolina, that number is 2,116 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 20.8% more for a home
The median home value in Iowa is $195,900 as of 2023, compared to $236,700 in South Carolina as of 2023.
pay 18.7% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Iowa is $949 as of 2023, while in South Carolina, it is $1,126 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
live among residents who are 1.5 years older on average
The median age in Iowa is 38.6 years as of 2023. In South Carolina, the median age is 40.1 years as of 2023.
commute 5.8 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in Iowa takes 19.8 minutes as of 2023. In South Carolina, it takes 25.6 minutes as of 2023.
be 95.7% more likely to be uninsured
In Iowa, 4.7% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In South Carolina, that number is 9.2% as of 2023.
live in an area that is 3.1 times more densely populated
Iowa has a population density of 22.2 people per sq km as of 2023. In South Carolina, that number is 69.1 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 25.7% more likely to be food insecure
In Iowa, 7.4% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In South Carolina, that number is 9.3% as of 2021.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), OECD Regional Demography (2020–2023), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), Feeding America (2021). How we calculate this
