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 the labor force is 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.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), OECD Regional Demography (2023), Feeding America (2021). How we calculate this
