Iowa vs Massachusetts
Massachusetts comes out ahead of Iowa on 480 of 792 statistics where one end is better, to 297 with 15 ties. Iowa leads on Agriculture, Politics & Government and Infrastructure & Energy. Massachusetts leads on Population, Tech & Business and Education and 9 more categories.
792 statistics with a better end, compared
Each counts once for the place that ranks better; 15 ties. Totals that mostly track population are left out.
- Wins
- 297
- Avg. percentile
- 54
- Categories led
- 3
- Wins
- 480
- Avg. percentile
- 61
- Categories led
- 12
At a glance
Headline statistics, each ranked among all US states.
| Statistic | Iowa | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,246,320 32nd of 51 | 7,169,608 16th of 51 |
| Median Household IncomeHousing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | $75,059 32nd of 51 | $103,960 2nd of 51 |
| Unemployment Rate (%)Unemployment Rate by State (BLS) | 3.5% tied 15th of 51 | 4.5% tied 37th of 51 |
| Poverty Rate (%)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | 11.1% 21st of 51 | 10.0% 10th of 51 |
| Price Level (All Items)Cost of Living by State (Regional Price Parities) | 87.8 3rd of 51 | 105.8 45th of 51 |
| Real Personal Income per Person (2017 Dollars)Real Personal Income by State | $60,144 19th of 51 | $71,629 4th of 51 |
| Average Annual Wage, All JobsAverage Wage by State (BLS) | $59,830 42nd of 51 | $85,610 2nd of 51 |
| Median Rent (Monthly, Capped at $3,501)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | $972 7th of 51 | $1,762 48th of 51 |
| Violent Crime Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by State (FBI) | 233.9 16th of 51 | 302.7 27th of 51 |
| Heating Degree Days per YearClimate by State (1991–2020 Averages) | 6,821 36th of 48 | 6,134 33rd of 48 |
By category
Average percentile on each category's widely ranked statistics.
- AgricultureIowa · 17 statistics
- PopulationMassachusetts · 124 statistics
- Tech & BusinessMassachusetts · 48 statistics
- EducationMassachusetts · 50 statistics
- GeographyMassachusetts · 25 statistics
- HealthMassachusetts · 187 statistics
- CultureMassachusetts · 79 statistics
- SportsMassachusetts · 17 statistics
- TravelMassachusetts · 28 statistics
- EnvironmentMassachusetts · 39 statistics
- EconomicsMassachusetts · 292 statistics
- LawMassachusetts · 65 statistics
- Facts & TriviaMassachusetts · 18 statistics
- Politics & GovernmentIowa · 123 statistics
- Infrastructure & EnergyIowa · 36 statistics
- Crime & SafetyEven · 72 statistics
Biggest differences
The 30 statistics where their rankings differ most, among rankings of at least 26 US states.
| Statistic | Iowa | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Drivers License CostDriver's License Cost by State | $4.00 1st of 50 | $85.00 49th of 50 |
| Median Price: All Home TypesMedian Home Price by State | $250,700 1st of 51 | $645,400 48th of 51 |
| Infrastructure RankFarming-Friendly States | 2nd 2nd of 50 | 48th 48th of 50 |
| Educational Attainment DiversityMost Diverse US States | 47th 47th of 50 | 1st tied 1st of 50 |
| LLC Filing FeeLLC Cost by State | $50 tied 1st of 51 | $520 51st of 51 |
| Median Price: Single Family HomesMedian Home Price by State | $253,300 1st of 51 | $667,600 47th of 51 |
| Average Cost for Advanced Life SupportAmbulance Cost by State | $1,355 2nd of 51 | $1,919 47th of 51 |
| Gross Earnings of Top 1%Percentage of Households Making Over $250,000 by State | $452,200 46th of 51 | $1.12M 1st of 51 |
| % of Pop. with Associates DegreeMost Educated U.S. States | 12.3% 3rd of 51 | 7.1% 48th of 51 |
| Viability RankFarming-Friendly States | 3rd 3rd of 50 | 47th 47th of 50 |
| Income Tax Minimum RateTaxes by State | 0.33% 2nd of 39 | 5% tied 35th of 39 |
| Taxpayer Cost per ImmigrantCost of Illegal Immigration by State | $4,352 5th of 51 | $7,396 49th of 51 |
| Other Drug Use Rate (Per 100k)Drug Use by State | 44.03 4th of 51 | 77.63 48th of 51 |
| Skin Cancer RatesSkin Cancer Rates by State | 28.7 44th of 48 | 13.6 3rd of 48 |
| Annual Mean WageNurse Salary by State | $69,370 47th of 51 | $104,150 4th of 51 |
| Hourly Mean WageNurse Salary by State | $33.35 47th of 51 | $50.07 4th of 51 |
| Gross IncomeCattle Ranching by State | $6.22B 4th of 50 | $15.68M 46th of 50 |
| Personnel RankFarming-Friendly States | 5th 5th of 50 | 47th 47th of 50 |
| Household Income DiversityMost Diverse US States | 6th 6th of 50 | 48th 48th of 50 |
| Cost of LivingPension-Friendly States | 95 tied 6th of 49 | 33 49th of 49 |
| Housing CostPension-Friendly States | 92 7th of 49 | 37 48th of 49 |
| Obesity Rate - Native American and AlaskanMost Obese States | 50.6% 45th of 46 | 33.0% 7th of 46 |
| % of Pop. with Graduate or Professional DegreeMost Educated U.S. States | 10.9% 44th of 51 | 22.6% 2nd of 51 |
| COLI Overall IndexLeast Expensive States | 89.7 8th of 51 | 145.9 50th of 51 |
| Home Health Care Cost per CapitaHealth Care Costs by State | $198 8th of 51 | $751 50th of 51 |
| Homeless RateHomeless Population by State | 8.0 Per 10k Residents tied 2nd of 51 | 42.0 Per 10k Residents 45th of 51 |
| Housing Costs IndexCost of Living Index by State | 75.9 6th of 51 | 196.2 48th of 51 |
| Livable Annual Wage w/ 1 ChildLiving Wage by State | $72,564 9th of 51 | $121,175 51st of 51 |
| Livable Hourly Wage w/ 1 ChildLiving Wage by State | $34.89 9th of 51 | $58.26 51st of 51 |
| Livable Wage w/ 2 Children (Annual)Living Wage by State | $92,624 9th of 51 | $159,222 51st of 51 |
Quick answers
- Which is better, Iowa or Massachusetts?
- Massachusetts comes out ahead of Iowa on 480 of 792 statistics where one end is better, to 297 with 15 ties. Iowa leads on Agriculture, Politics & Government and Infrastructure & Energy. Massachusetts leads on Population, Tech & Business and Education and 9 more categories. Statistics where neither end is better, and totals that mostly track population, are not counted.
- Which has more people, Iowa or Massachusetts?
- Iowa has a population of 3,246,320 (32nd of 51 US states) and Massachusetts has 7,169,608 (16th of 51).
- How do Iowa and Massachusetts compare on Median Household Income?
- Median Household Income: Iowa $75,059 (32nd of 51), Massachusetts $103,960 (2nd of 51) among US states. Massachusetts ranks better.
- How do Iowa and Massachusetts compare on Unemployment Rate (%)?
- Unemployment Rate (%): Iowa 3.5% (tied 15th of 51), Massachusetts 4.5% (tied 37th of 51) among US states. Iowa ranks better.
- Where does Iowa beat Massachusetts most clearly?
- Iowa ranks far ahead on Drivers License Cost (Driver's License Cost by State): $4.00 vs $85.00; Median Price: All Home Types (Median Home Price by State): $250,700 vs $645,400; Infrastructure Rank (Farming-Friendly States): 2nd vs 48th.
- Where does Massachusetts beat Iowa most clearly?
- Massachusetts ranks far ahead on Educational Attainment Diversity (Most Diverse US States): 1st vs 47th; Gross Earnings of Top 1% (Percentage of Households Making Over $250,000 by State): $1.12M vs $452,200; Skin Cancer Rates (Skin Cancer Rates by State): 13.6 vs 28.7.
More matchups
Other comparisons with Iowa or Massachusetts.
- Alabama vs Iowa
- Alaska vs Iowa
- Arizona vs Iowa
- Arkansas vs Iowa
- California vs Iowa
- Colorado vs Iowa
- Connecticut vs Iowa
- Delaware vs Iowa
- Alabama vs Massachusetts
- Alaska vs Massachusetts
- Arizona vs Massachusetts
- Arkansas vs Massachusetts
- California vs Massachusetts
- Colorado vs Massachusetts
- Connecticut vs Massachusetts
- Delaware vs Massachusetts