Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Dakota instead of Iowa, you would:
Health
be 13.1% less likely to have diabetes
In Iowa, 9.9% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In South Dakota, that number is 8.6% as of 2022.
live 0.8 years less
In Iowa, the average life expectancy is 78 years (76 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020. In South Dakota, that number is 77 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2020.
Economy
be 27.3% less likely to be unemployed
In Iowa, 3.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In South Dakota, that number is 2.4% as of 2025.
Safety
be 24.0% 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 Dakota, that number is 344 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 11.5% 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 Dakota, that number is 1,591 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 20.9% more for a home
The median home value in Iowa is $195,900 as of 2023, compared to $236,800 in South Dakota as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 2.2 minutes less
The average one-way commute in Iowa takes 19.8 minutes as of 2023. In South Dakota, it takes 17.6 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 78.8% less densely populated
Iowa has a population density of 22.2 people per sq km as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 4.7 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 85.1% more likely to be uninsured
In Iowa, 4.7% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 8.7% as of 2023.
be 32.3% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Iowa, 3.1% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 2.1% as of 2023.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: OECD Regional Demography, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
