Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Virgin Islands instead of Iowa, you would:

Economy

be 3.5 times more likely to be unemployed

In Iowa, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Virgin Islands, that number is 11.4% as of 2025.

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make 30.5% less money

Iowa has a GDP per capita of $63,747 as of 2024, while in Virgin Islands, the GDP per capita is $44,321 as of 2022.

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Basic Needs

be 26.3% less likely to have internet access

In Iowa, approximately 87.9% of the population has internet access as of 2023. In Virgin Islands, about 64.8% do as of 2022.

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Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this

Compare further: Iowa vs. Virgin Islands

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Virgin Islands is 56.4% more expensive than Iowa
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Size Comparison · See true size
Iowa is about 76 times bigger than Virgin Islands.
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Moving from Iowa to Virgin Islands · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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Virgin Islands: At a glance

Virgin Islands (sometimes abbreviated USVI) is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 346 sq km. The Danes secured control over the southern Virgin Islands of Saint Thomas, Saint John, and Saint Croix during the 17th and early 18th centuries. Sugarcane, produced by African slave labor, drove the islands' economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1917, the US purchased the Danish holdings, which had been in economic decline since the abolition of slavery in 1848.
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How big is Virgin Islands compared to Iowa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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