Recently, I have been to Iowa, and a few people have asked if I felt that Iowa was a better place to live in than New Jersey. Along with my own opinion, I looked into some facts comparing both states. Most people have never been to Iowa because they believe there is not too much to do there. It is simply one of those states that you probably don’t go to visit unless you have a specific reason to go.
Iowa is approximately 1000 miles from New Jersey and is in the Central Time Zone, which means the time there is an hour earlier than here in New Jersey. Even though Iowa is about 8 times larger than New Jersey, New Jersey’s population is about 3 times as large, with a population of about 9.3 million to Iowa’s 3.2 million. Houses in Iowa cost on average about $216,000, whereas New Jersey’s average home price exceeds $500,000. Property taxes in Iowa are about $2800 and New Jersey is, on average, $9100 annually (Nextburb).
The numbers on paper show the differences between the two states, but when you arrive in Iowa you can see the difference pretty quickly. Iowa is a very flat state with lots of open land that is mostly occupied by farms and cornfields. It’s funny, though, since New Jersey is The Garden State and has some of the best corn in the country! Iowa also has no professional sports teams whereas New Jersey has plenty, and though most of which call themselves New York, they still play right here in our state! (Huffpost.com)
New Jersey has always been the punchline of many jokes and usually ranks very low on the list of states that people like, yet there is a lot to like here that we don’t realize without visiting other states and seeing the differences. Once you leave the Northeast, there are different stores, foods, restaurants and types of people. Iowa is a basic and somewhat boring state in comparison. It is a landlocked state, meaning there are no beaches like in New Jersey. New Jersey is famous for our shore and also for the amazing food! You probably cannot get food anywhere else in the country that is as good as it is here in New Jersey, with the exception of New York. (NJ.com)
All in all, I really liked Iowa, and the one thing that I like and is a noticeable difference are the people. Most talk about southern hospitality, but the people in the Midwest are really pretty amazing. They all seem to be kind, polite, patient and helpful. Generally, the people there are wonderful, and I always enjoy talking to people and just observing the kindness that is not always shown here in New Jersey. So even though the two states might be very different, they both have their advantages. If you get a chance, take a trip out to the Midwest and experience the differences!
