Mapping Average IQ Score By State

Intelligence Quotient (IQ) scores are a measure used to assess human intelligence through standardized tests. These scores compare a person’s cognitive abilities to the average population, with the average score typically falling around 100.

To see how IQ varies across the United States, Visual Capitalist’s Marcus Lu visualized data from a 2022 report published in the National Library of Medicine (Journal of Intelligence) by Bryan J. Pesta titled Updated IQ and Well-Being Scores for the 50 U.S. States.

This data can also be easily accessed via Data Pandas or through the scientific research paper itself.

Data and Methodology

IQ estimates are based on an analysis of exam scores from the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competency (PIAAC) for adults, and the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) for fourth and eighth grade children.

The PIAAC is a large-scale international study of key cognitive and workplace skills of adults, while the NAEP is the largest nationally representative assessment of student capabilities in public and private schools in the U.S.

Note that IQ scores have their limitations, and do not capture all aspects of intelligence such as creativity or emotional intelligence. The numbers we used to create this graphic are listed in the table below.

Rank
State
Average IQ
1
Alabama
95.7
2
Alaska
99.0
3
Arizona
97.4
4
Arkansas
97.5
5
California
95.5
6
Colorado
101.6
7
Connecticut
103.1
8
Delaware
100.4
9
Florida
98.4
10
Georgia
98.0
11
Hawaii
95.6
12
Idaho
101.4
13
Illinois
99.9
14
Indiana
101.7
15
Iowa
103.2
16
Kansas
102.8
17
Kentucky
99.4
18
Louisiana
95.3
19
Maine
103.4
20
Maryland
99.7
21
Massachusetts
104.3
22
Michigan
100.5
23
Minnesota
103.7
24
Mississippi
94.2
25
Missouri
101.0
26
Montana
103.4
27
Nebraska
102.3
28
Nevada
96.5
29
New Hampshire
104.2
30
New Jersey
102.8
31
New Mexico
95.7
32
New York
100.7
33
North Carolina
100.2
34
North Dakota
103.8
35
Ohio
101.8
36
Oklahoma
99.3
37
Oregon
101.2
38
Pennsylvania
101.5
39
Rhode Island
99.5
40
South Carolina
98.4
41
South Dakota
102.8
42
Tennessee
97.7
43
Texas
100.0
44
Utah
101.1
45
Vermont
103.8
46
Virginia
101.9
47
Washington
101.9
48
West Virginia
98.7
49
Wisconsin
102.9
50
Wyoming
102.4

From this dataset, we can see that the average IQ score by state ranges between 94.2 and 104.3. These scores are all considered “average intelligence” by the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale.

The top three states are Massachusetts (104.3), New Hampshire (104.2), and North Dakota (103.8).

Massachusetts’ higher score average could be due to several factors. For starters, the state is home to prestigious universities like Harvard and MIT, which may contribute to a more academically focused culture. It also has a relatively high median household income, meaning families could have greater access to educational tools.

If you enjoyed this graphic, check out this ranking of U.S. universities by their number of startup founders on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.