Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Iowa instead of Maryland, you would:
Health
be 15.9% more likely to be obese
In Maryland, 33.4% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Iowa, that number is 38.7% of people as of 2022.
Economy
be 10.8% less likely to be unemployed
In Maryland, 3.7% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Iowa, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.
be 16.7% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Maryland, 9.0% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Iowa, however, that number is 10.5% as of 2023.
Safety
be 34.1% less likely to be a victim of violent crime
Maryland has a violent crime rate of 420 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Iowa, that number is 277 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 30.2% less likely to be a victim of property crime
Maryland has a property crime rate of 2,043 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Iowa, that number is 1,427 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 50.7% less for a home
The median home value in Maryland is $397,700 as of 2023, compared to $195,900 in Iowa as of 2023.
pay 42.9% less in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Maryland is $1,662 as of 2023, while in Iowa, it is $949 as of 2023.
earn 28.0% less money
The median household income in Maryland is $101,652 as of 2023, while in Iowa, it is $73,147 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 11.7 minutes less
The average one-way commute in Maryland takes 31.5 minutes as of 2023. In Iowa, it takes 19.8 minutes as of 2023.
be 21.7% less likely to be uninsured
In Maryland, 6.0% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Iowa, that number is 4.7% as of 2023.
live in an area that is 91.0% less densely populated
Maryland has a population density of 245.6 people per sq km as of 2023. In Iowa, that number is 22.2 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 22.9% less likely to be food insecure
In Maryland, 9.6% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Iowa, that number is 7.4% as of 2021.
be 36.7% more likely to smoke
In Maryland, 12.0% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Iowa, that number is 16.4% as of 2022.
be 14.2% more likely to be physically inactive
In Maryland, 21.8% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In Iowa, that number is 24.9% as of 2022.
be 29.9% less likely to have a bachelor's degree
In Maryland, 29.1% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2023. In Iowa, that number is 20.4% as of 2023.
be 57.5% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Maryland, 7.3% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Iowa, that number is 3.1% as of 2023.
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), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
