Which has more people, Iowa or Kentucky?

Iowa has a population of 3,246,320 (32nd of 51 US states) and Kentucky has 4,629,682 (25th of 51).

How do Iowa and Kentucky compare on Median Household Income?

Median Household Income: Iowa $75,059 (32nd of 51), Kentucky $63,726 (47th of 51) among US states. Iowa ranks better.

How do Iowa and Kentucky compare on Unemployment Rate (%)?

Unemployment Rate (%): Iowa 3.5% (tied 15th of 51), Kentucky 4.6% (tied 40th of 51) among US states. Iowa ranks better.

Where does Iowa beat Kentucky most clearly?

Iowa ranks far ahead on CAS Illegal Legislative Corruption Level (1-5) (Most Corrupt States): 1 vs 5; Amphetamine Use Rate (Per 100k) (Drug Use by State): 231.94 vs 584.65; CAS Illegal Executive Corruption Level (1-5) (Most Corrupt States): 1 vs 4.

Where does Kentucky beat Iowa most clearly?

Kentucky ranks far ahead on Registration Fee (Car Registration Fees by State): $26.00 vs $333; Black to White Disparity (x to 1) (Incarceration Rates by State): 2.9 vs 9.3; Excessive Drinkers (Healthiest States): 14.8% vs 21.4%.

Iowa vs Kentucky

Iowa comes out ahead of Kentucky on 485 of 799 statistics where one end is better, to 296 with 18 ties. Iowa leads on Health, Facts & Trivia and Crime & Safety and 8 more categories. Kentucky leads on Travel, Sports and Agriculture and 2 more categories.

799 statistics with a better end, compared

Each counts once for the place that ranks better; 18 ties. Totals that mostly track population are left out.

Iowa

Wins: 485
Avg. percentile: 54
Categories led: 11

Kentucky

Wins: 296
Avg. percentile: 43
Categories led: 5

At a glance

Headline statistics, each ranked among all US states.

Statistic	Iowa	Kentucky
Population	3,246,320 32nd of 51	4,629,682 25th of 51
Median Household IncomeHousing, Income and Commutes by State (Census)	$75,059 32nd of 51	$63,726 47th of 51
Unemployment Rate (%)Unemployment Rate by State (BLS)	3.5% tied 15th of 51	4.6% tied 40th of 51
Poverty Rate (%)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census)	11.1% 21st of 51	16.1% 47th of 51
Price Level (All Items)Cost of Living by State (Regional Price Parities)	87.8 3rd of 51	90.2 12th of 51
Real Personal Income per Person (2017 Dollars)Real Personal Income by State	$60,144 19th of 51	$52,290 46th of 51
Average Annual Wage, All JobsAverage Wage by State (BLS)	$59,830 42nd of 51	$58,990 44th of 51
Median Rent (Monthly, Capped at $3,501)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census)	$972 7th of 51	$967 6th of 51
Violent Crime Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by State (FBI)	233.9 16th of 51	212.1 9th of 51
Heating Degree Days per YearClimate by State (1991–2020 Averages)	6,821 36th of 48	4,396 16th of 48

By category

Average percentile on each category's widely ranked statistics.

HealthIowa · 185 statistics
Facts & TriviaIowa · 18 statistics
Crime & SafetyIowa · 74 statistics
TravelKentucky · 29 statistics
SportsKentucky · 17 statistics
EnvironmentIowa · 39 statistics
PopulationIowa · 122 statistics
CultureIowa · 79 statistics
EconomicsIowa · 295 statistics
Politics & GovernmentIowa · 125 statistics
EducationIowa · 50 statistics
AgricultureKentucky · 17 statistics
GeographyKentucky · 25 statistics
LawIowa · 64 statistics
Infrastructure & EnergyKentucky · 35 statistics
Tech & BusinessIowa · 48 statistics

Biggest differences

The 30 statistics where their rankings differ most, among rankings of at least 26 US states.

Statistic	Iowa	Kentucky
CAS Illegal Legislative Corruption Level (1-5)Most Corrupt States	1 1st of 48	5 tied last of 48
Amphetamine Use Rate (Per 100k)Drug Use by State	231.94 1st of 51	584.65 50th of 51
CAS Illegal Executive Corruption Level (1-5)Most Corrupt States	1 tied 1st of 48	4 tied last of 48
Opioid Use Rate (Per 100k)Opioid Epidemic by State	1,352.08 5th of 51	3,297.06 50th of 51
Income Tax Minimum RateTaxes by State	0.33% 2nd of 39	5% tied 35th of 39
Total Drug Use RateDrug Use by State	2,705 per 100k 5th of 51	5,324 per 100k 49th of 51
Corruption Score (BestLife)Most Corrupt States	82.14 7th of 50	0.02 50th of 50
FTE Reporter RankMost Corrupt States	41st 8th best of 49	1st worst of 49
Money-RelatedMost Stressed States	49th 2nd best of 50	8th 8th worst of 50
Registration FeeCar Registration Fees by State	$333 43rd of 50	$26.00 2nd of 50
Drug Deaths Per 100kHealthiest States	14.4 3rd of 51	45.9 44th of 51
Other Drug Use Rate (Per 100k)Drug Use by State	44.03 4th of 51	73.16 45th of 51
Black to White Disparity (x to 1)Incarceration Rates by State	9.3 45th of 50	2.9 5th of 50
Excessive DrinkersHealthiest States	21.4% 48th of 50	14.8% tied 8th of 50
Work Environment RankSaddest States	6th 6th of 50	45th 45th of 50
Annual Conviction RateMost Corrupt States	0.18 per 10k Government Employees tied 8th of 50	0.74 per 10k Government Employees 47th of 50
Female Life Expectancy (HALE)Life Expectancy by State	66.3 yrs 11th of 51	62.03 yrs 50th of 51
Depression RateMental Health Statistics by State	3,911 per 100k 4th of 51	5,582 per 100k 43rd of 51
Participation RateLabor Force Participation Rate by State	67.3% 4th of 51	58.4% 43rd of 51
Economy RankWorst States to Live in	43rd tied 8th best of 50	5th 5th worst of 50
Binged Alcohol Past MonthDrug Use by State	25.7% 40th of 51	20.3% 2nd of 51
Opioid Death RateOpioid Epidemic by State	13.7 per 1k pop. 3rd of 51	33.5 per 1k pop. tied 40th of 51
Depression Rate Ages 0-14Mental Health Statistics by State	1,147 per 100k 4th of 51	1,701 per 100k 42nd of 51
% of Mammal Species at RiskMost Biodiverse States	1.5% tied 3rd of 50	10.0% 41st of 50
SSI ProcurementMost Corrupt States	60.4 42nd of 50	80.4 5th of 50
Prevalence Of Depression 2021Most Depressed States	17.7% tied 12th of 50	27.0% 49th of 50
Employment and Wealth Racial Integration RankLeast Racist States	48th 48th of 51	11th 11th of 51
Life Expectancy, Both Sexes (HALE)Life Expectancy by State	65.4 yrs 13th of 51	60.97 yrs 50th of 51
Overall Racial Integration ScoreLeast Racist States	51.55 46th of 51	68.49 9th of 51
Crude Depression RateDepression Rates by State	17.7% tied 12th of 49	27.0% 48th of 49

See every statistic they shareSearch and sort all of them, adjust for cost of living or population, or add up to two more places.

Quick answers

Which is better, Iowa or Kentucky?: Iowa comes out ahead of Kentucky on 485 of 799 statistics where one end is better, to 296 with 18 ties. Iowa leads on Health, Facts & Trivia and Crime & Safety and 8 more categories. Kentucky leads on Travel, Sports and Agriculture and 2 more categories. Statistics where neither end is better, and totals that mostly track population, are not counted.
Which has more people, Iowa or Kentucky?: Iowa has a population of 3,246,320 (32nd of 51 US states) and Kentucky has 4,629,682 (25th of 51).
How do Iowa and Kentucky compare on Median Household Income?: Median Household Income: Iowa $75,059 (32nd of 51), Kentucky $63,726 (47th of 51) among US states. Iowa ranks better.
How do Iowa and Kentucky compare on Unemployment Rate (%)?: Unemployment Rate (%): Iowa 3.5% (tied 15th of 51), Kentucky 4.6% (tied 40th of 51) among US states. Iowa ranks better.
Where does Iowa beat Kentucky most clearly?: Iowa ranks far ahead on CAS Illegal Legislative Corruption Level (1-5) (Most Corrupt States): 1 vs 5; Amphetamine Use Rate (Per 100k) (Drug Use by State): 231.94 vs 584.65; CAS Illegal Executive Corruption Level (1-5) (Most Corrupt States): 1 vs 4.
Where does Kentucky beat Iowa most clearly?: Kentucky ranks far ahead on Registration Fee (Car Registration Fees by State): $26.00 vs $333; Black to White Disparity (x to 1) (Incarceration Rates by State): 2.9 vs 9.3; Excessive Drinkers (Healthiest States): 14.8% vs 21.4%.

More matchups

Other comparisons with Iowa or Kentucky.

All US states matchups