Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Vermont instead of Iowa, you would:
Health
live 1.3 years longer
In Iowa, the average life expectancy is 78 years (76 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020. In Vermont, that number is 79 years (77 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020.
be 29.7% less likely to be obese
In Iowa, 38.7% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Vermont, that number is 27.2% of people as of 2022.
be 31.3% less likely to have diabetes
In Iowa, 9.9% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In Vermont, that number is 6.8% as of 2022.
Economy
be 21.2% less likely to be unemployed
In Iowa, 3.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Vermont, that number is 2.6% as of 2025.
make 11.4% less money
Iowa has a GDP per capita of $63,747 as of 2024, while in Vermont, the GDP per capita is $56,462 as of 2024.
Safety
be 23.8% less likely to be a victim of violent crime
Iowa has a violent crime rate of 277 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Vermont, that number is 211 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 26.3% 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 Vermont, that number is 1,802 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 48.3% more for a home
The median home value in Iowa is $195,900 as of 2023, compared to $290,500 in Vermont as of 2023.
pay 25.7% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Iowa is $949 as of 2023, while in Vermont, it is $1,193 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 17.0% less likely to be uninsured
In Iowa, 4.7% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Vermont, that number is 3.9% as of 2023.
be 17.1% less likely to smoke
In Iowa, 16.4% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Vermont, that number is 13.6% as of 2022.
be 30.1% less likely to be physically inactive
In Iowa, 24.9% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In Vermont, that number is 17.4% as of 2022.
live among residents who are 4.4 years older on average
The median age in Iowa is 38.6 years as of 2023. In Vermont, the median age is 43.0 years as of 2023.
be 50.0% 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 Vermont, that number is 30.6% as of 2023.
commute 3.6 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in Iowa takes 19.8 minutes as of 2023. In Vermont, it takes 23.4 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 22.1% more densely populated
Iowa has a population density of 22.2 people per sq km as of 2023. In Vermont, that number is 27.1 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 45.2% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Iowa, 3.1% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Vermont, that number is 1.7% as of 2023.
be 20.3% more likely to be food insecure
In Iowa, 7.4% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Vermont, that number is 8.9% 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.
