Iowa vs Wisconsin
Wisconsin comes out ahead of Iowa on 388 of 804 statistics where one end is better, to 386 with 30 ties. Iowa leads on Crime & Safety, Agriculture and Politics & Government and 6 more categories. Wisconsin leads on Sports, Geography and Facts & Trivia and 3 more categories.
At a glance
Headline statistics, each ranked among all US states.
| Statistic | Iowa | Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,246,320 32nd of 51 | 5,988,406 21st of 51 |
| Median Household IncomeHousing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | $75,059 32nd of 51 | $77,485 26th of 51 |
| Unemployment Rate (%)Unemployment Rate by State (BLS) | 3.5% tied 15th of 51 | 3.2% tied 7th of 51 |
| Poverty Rate (%)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | 11.1% 21st of 51 | 10.6% 16th of 51 |
| Price Level (All Items)Cost of Living by State (Regional Price Parities) | 87.8 3rd of 51 | 94.1 20th of 51 |
| Real Personal Income per Person (2017 Dollars)Real Personal Income by State | $60,144 19th of 51 | $58,273 26th of 51 |
| Average Annual Wage, All JobsAverage Wage by State (BLS) | $59,830 42nd of 51 | $64,270 30th of 51 |
| Median Rent (Monthly, Capped at $3,501)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | $972 7th of 51 | $1,087 19th of 51 |
| Violent Crime Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by State (FBI) | 233.9 16th of 51 | 240.3 19th of 51 |
| Heating Degree Days per YearClimate by State (1991–2020 Averages) | 6,821 36th of 48 | 7,528 41st of 48 |
By category
Average percentile on each category's widely ranked statistics.
- SportsWisconsin · 17 statistics
- GeographyWisconsin · 25 statistics
- Crime & SafetyIowa · 74 statistics
- Facts & TriviaWisconsin · 18 statistics
- AgricultureIowa · 17 statistics
- EducationWisconsin · 50 statistics
- Tech & BusinessWisconsin · 48 statistics
- Politics & GovernmentIowa · 128 statistics
- PopulationIowa · 125 statistics
- HealthIowa · 190 statistics
- Infrastructure & EnergyIowa · 36 statistics
- CultureWisconsin · 79 statistics
- LawIowa · 67 statistics
- TravelIowa · 29 statistics
- EconomicsIowa · 299 statistics
- EnvironmentEven · 38 statistics
Biggest differences
The 30 statistics where their rankings differ most, among rankings of at least 26 US states.
| Statistic | Iowa | Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|
| Food Wasted RankFood Waste by State | 50th best of 50 | 5th 5th worst of 50 |
| Wasted Instead of ReusedFood Waste by State | 45th 6th best of 50 | 4th 4th worst of 50 |
| Annual Mean WageVeterinarian Salary by State | $99,410 40th of 47 | $148,680 2nd of 47 |
| VaricellaVaccination Rates by State | 93.5% 6th of 51 | 87.6% 47th of 51 |
| McDonalds Happy MealFast Food Prices by State | $2.85 tied 39th of 50 | $3.93 1st of 50 |
| Cost Per CapitaPrisons by State | $139 tied 1st of 50 | $263 39th of 50 |
| Health Racial Integration RankLeast Racist States | 6th 6th of 51 | 44th 44th of 51 |
| Fishing Booker RankBest States for Fishing | 48th 48th of 50 | 11th 11th of 50 |
| Overall RankFood Waste by State | 44th 7th best of 50 | 7th 7th worst of 50 |
| Fall Color RankingBest State for Fall Colors | 44th 44th of 50 | 8th 8th of 50 |
| Driving Fatalities Involving AlcoholAlcohol Consumption by State | 25.4% 7th of 50 | 36.9% 43rd of 50 |
| CAS Legal Judicial Corruption Level (1-5)Most Corrupt States | 1 tied 1st of 48 | 3 tied 36th of 48 |
| 10th Percentile WageTeacher Pay by State | $39,800 41st of 51 | $49,940 tied 4th of 51 |
| Access RankBest States for Fishing | 41st 41st of 51 | 5th 5th of 51 |
| Opportunity RankWorst States to Live in | 8th tied 8th worst of 50 | 42nd 8th best of 50 |
| Service Fees (USD)Bad Check Laws by State | $20.00 tied 2nd of 50 | $30.00 tied 35th of 50 |
| Christmas Spirit RankChristmas by State | 36th 36th of 51 | 2nd 2nd of 51 |
| HepB 3 Doses (Young Children)Vaccination Rates by State | 96.0% 2nd of 51 | 91.8% 36th of 51 |
| # Dentists per 1k jobsDentist Salary by State | 0.56 46th of 50 | 0.86 13th of 50 |
| % Change in Prison Pop. 2021-2022Prison Population by State | -89.0% 6th of 50 | 671.0% 39th of 50 |
| Lake Surface Area (acres)Bass Fishing by State | 814 48th of 50 | 137,700 15th of 50 |
| Lake Surface Area (mi)Bass Fishing by State | 1.3 48th of 50 | 215.2 15th of 50 |
| MMRVaccination Rates by State | 94.4% tied 5th of 51 | 89.9% 39th of 51 |
| Annual Median WageSonographer Salary by State | $77,150 39th of 51 | $95,680 6th of 51 |
| Hourly Median WageSonographer Salary by State | $37.09 39th of 51 | $46.00 6th of 51 |
| MenACWYVaccination Rates by State | 96.3% 3rd of 51 | 88.7% 36th of 51 |
| Prisoners, Unknown EthnicityPrison Population by State | 10 14th of 39 | 3,831 39th of 39 |
| State Rank State GovtPublic Land by State | 41st 40th of 49 | 10th 9th of 49 |
| State Rank All GovtsPublic Land by State | 49th 49th of 50 | 18th 18th of 50 |
| Share of Annual Family IncomeChild Care Cost by State | 10.2% 47th of 51 | 16.0% tied 15th of 51 |
Quick answers
- Which is better, Iowa or Wisconsin?
- Wisconsin comes out ahead of Iowa on 388 of 804 statistics where one end is better, to 386 with 30 ties. Iowa leads on Crime & Safety, Agriculture and Politics & Government and 6 more categories. Wisconsin leads on Sports, Geography and Facts & Trivia and 3 more categories. Statistics where neither end is better, and totals that mostly track population, are not counted.
- Which has more people, Iowa or Wisconsin?
- Iowa has a population of 3,246,320 (32nd of 51 US states) and Wisconsin has 5,988,406 (21st of 51).
- How do Iowa and Wisconsin compare on Median Household Income?
- Median Household Income: Iowa $75,059 (32nd of 51), Wisconsin $77,485 (26th of 51) among US states. Wisconsin ranks better.
- How do Iowa and Wisconsin compare on Unemployment Rate (%)?
- Unemployment Rate (%): Iowa 3.5% (tied 15th of 51), Wisconsin 3.2% (tied 7th of 51) among US states. Wisconsin ranks better.
- Where does Iowa beat Wisconsin most clearly?
- Iowa ranks far ahead on Food Wasted Rank (Food Waste by State): 50th vs 5th; Wasted Instead of Reused (Food Waste by State): 45th vs 4th; Varicella (Vaccination Rates by State): 93.5% vs 87.6%.
- Where does Wisconsin beat Iowa most clearly?
- Wisconsin ranks far ahead on Annual Mean Wage (Veterinarian Salary by State): $148,680 vs $99,410; McDonalds Happy Meal (Fast Food Prices by State): $3.93 vs $2.85; Fishing Booker Rank (Best States for Fishing): 11th vs 48th.
More matchups
Other comparisons with Iowa or Wisconsin.
- 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 Wisconsin
- Alaska vs Wisconsin
- Arizona vs Wisconsin
- Arkansas vs Wisconsin
- California vs Wisconsin
- Colorado vs Wisconsin
- Connecticut vs Wisconsin
- Delaware vs Wisconsin