Iowa is home to a lot of smart individuals. Iowans are so smart, we collectively have one of the best IQs in the country!

I'll be the first to admit that I, very likely, don't add much to Iowa's average IQ rating. When I fell out of the IQ tree, I didn't hit very many of the branches. It was more like a straight fall. So I would like to formally apologize for Iowa not making it into the top 5. It's likely my score that is bringing the entire state down.

While Iowa didn't crack the top 5 states for highest average IQ...we do appear pretty high on this study from Data Pandas!

States With The Highest Average IQ

When we think of someone's IQ, we immediately assume the higher the IQ, the more intelligent someone is. I'd say, for the most part, this is probably true. However, there are different ways for people to prove their intelligence, aka book smarts vs street smarts.

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I know plenty of individuals who got excellent grades in school and went on to graduate college with master's/bachelor's degrees, and when they read something, they can understand it. I also know some people like this who couldn't change a flat tire, don't know which direction is which, and don't know how to successfully pour beer into a mug without 90% of it turning to foam.

The United States has an average IQ of 98 according to Data Pandas. They collected public data from IQ tests, SAT, and ACT scores, educational attainment levels, etc.  When this is broken down on a state level, Iowa's average IQ score is 5.2 points higher than the national average.

Iowa's average IQ, according to this study, is 103.2. This places Iowa with the 8th-highest average IQ score in the country!

"Iowa, often associated with its quality education system appears 8th on the list."

Massachusetts just barely beats New Hampshire for the number 1. Massachusetts's average IQ is 104.3 and New Hampshire's is 104.2

Other Midwest States

Overall, the Midwest fairs pretty well for IQ scores. North Dakota ranks number 3 on the list with a score of 103.8, Minnesota is ranked 5th at 103.7, and Wisconsin is ranked number 10, with a score of 102.9.

The Midwest holds 4 spots in the top 10. The northeast portion of the country also holds 4 spots in the top 10, with Montana as the lone wolf western state to make the top 10.

The western part of the country and the south/southeast part of the country have the lowest state IQ scores. Mississippi, Louisiana, California, New Mexico, Hawaii, New Mexico and Alabama have the 5 lowest score, with New Mexico and Alabama with a tie.

Speaking of SAT and ACT score, how do you think you will perform taking this Iowa alcohol quiz?