Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Iowa instead of North Carolina, you would:
Health
live 1.4 years longer
In North Carolina, the average life expectancy is 76 years (75 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2020. In Iowa, that number is 78 years (76 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020.
be 15.2% more likely to be obese
In North Carolina, 33.6% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Iowa, that number is 38.7% of people as of 2022.
Economy
be 13.2% less likely to live below the poverty line
In North Carolina, 12.1% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Iowa, however, that number is 10.5% as of 2023.
Safety
be 26.8% less likely to be a victim of violent crime
North Carolina has a violent crime rate of 379 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Iowa, that number is 277 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 28.6% less likely to be a victim of property crime
North Carolina has a property crime rate of 1,998 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Iowa, that number is 1,427 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 24.5% less for a home
The median home value in North Carolina is $259,400 as of 2023, compared to $195,900 in Iowa as of 2023.
pay 18.3% less in rent
The median monthly gross rent in North Carolina is $1,162 as of 2023, while in Iowa, it is $949 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 5.3 minutes less
The average one-way commute in North Carolina takes 25.1 minutes as of 2023. In Iowa, it takes 19.8 minutes as of 2023.
be 51.0% less likely to be uninsured
In North Carolina, 9.6% 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 74.2% less densely populated
North Carolina has a population density of 86.2 people per sq km as of 2023. In Iowa, that number is 22.2 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 33.9% less likely to be food insecure
In North Carolina, 11.2% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Iowa, that number is 7.4% as of 2021.
be 12.3% more likely to smoke
In North Carolina, 14.6% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Iowa, that number is 16.4% as of 2022.
be 12.2% more likely to be physically inactive
In North Carolina, 22.2% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In Iowa, that number is 24.9% as of 2022.
be 35.4% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In North Carolina, 4.8% 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), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
