Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Iowa instead of New Jersey, you would:
Health
be 29.0% more likely to be obese
In New Jersey, 30.0% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Iowa, that number is 38.7% of people as of 2022.
Economy
be 26.7% less likely to be unemployed
In New Jersey, 4.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Iowa, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.
be 12.9% more likely to live below the poverty line
In New Jersey, 9.3% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Iowa, however, that number is 10.5% as of 2023.
Safety
be 28.7% more likely to be a victim of violent crime
New Jersey has a violent crime rate of 215 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Iowa, that number is 277 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 54.2% less for a home
The median home value in New Jersey is $427,600 as of 2023, compared to $195,900 in Iowa as of 2023.
pay 42.6% less in rent
The median monthly gross rent in New Jersey is $1,653 as of 2023, while in Iowa, it is $949 as of 2023.
be 12.2% more likely to own your home
In New Jersey, 63.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied as of 2023. In Iowa, that number is 71.5% as of 2023.
earn 27.6% less money
The median household income in New Jersey is $101,050 as of 2023, while in Iowa, it is $73,147 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 11.1 minutes less
The average one-way commute in New Jersey takes 30.9 minutes as of 2023. In Iowa, it takes 19.8 minutes as of 2023.
be 33.8% less likely to be uninsured
In New Jersey, 7.1% 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 95.5% less densely populated
New Jersey has a population density of 488.2 people per sq km as of 2023. In Iowa, that number is 22.2 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 12.9% less likely to be food insecure
In New Jersey, 8.5% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Iowa, that number is 7.4% as of 2021.
be 37.8% more likely to smoke
In New Jersey, 11.9% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Iowa, that number is 16.4% as of 2022.
live among residents who are 1.5 years older on average
The median age in New Jersey is 40.1 years as of 2023. In Iowa, the median age is 38.6 years as of 2023.
be 29.7% less likely to have a bachelor's degree
In New Jersey, 29.0% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2023. In Iowa, that number is 20.4% as of 2023.
be 68.7% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In New Jersey, 9.9% 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.
