→ Find out YOUR exact IQ in 20 minutes (calibrated test) Take the test

— US state cognitive research

Average IQ by US state — all 50 states ranked

State-level IQ estimates derived from published research including McDaniel (2006), state NAEP conversions, and educational attainment data. All figures are estimates with significant uncertainty.

StateAvg IQPercentile
Average IQ in Massachusetts10461th
Average IQ in New Hampshire10461th
Average IQ in Connecticut10358th
Average IQ in Vermont10358th
Average IQ in New Jersey10255th
Average IQ in Minnesota10255th
Average IQ in Wisconsin10255th
Average IQ in Iowa10153th
Average IQ in Montana10153th
Average IQ in Washington10153th
Average IQ in Kansas10153th
Average IQ in Colorado10153th
Average IQ in Virginia10153th
Average IQ in Maryland10153th
Average IQ in North Dakota10153th
Average IQ in Nebraska10153th
Average IQ in Utah10153th
Average IQ in Oregon10050th
Average IQ in Maine10050th
Average IQ in South Dakota10050th
Average IQ in Wyoming10050th
Average IQ in Idaho10050th
Average IQ in New York10050th
Average IQ in Illinois10050th
Average IQ in Delaware10050th
Average IQ in Washington D.C.10050th
Average IQ in Ohio9947th
Average IQ in Michigan9947th
Average IQ in Pennsylvania9947th
Average IQ in Indiana9947th
Average IQ in Alaska9947th
Average IQ in Hawaii9947th
Average IQ in California9947th
Average IQ in Rhode Island9947th
Average IQ in Missouri9845th
Average IQ in Florida9845th
Average IQ in North Carolina9845th
Average IQ in Arizona9742th
Average IQ in Texas9742th
Average IQ in Georgia9742th
Average IQ in Tennessee9742th
Average IQ in Nevada9639th
Average IQ in Kentucky9639th
Average IQ in Oklahoma9639th
Average IQ in South Carolina9537th
Average IQ in West Virginia9537th
Average IQ in Arkansas9537th
Average IQ in New Mexico9537th
Average IQ in Louisiana9537th
Average IQ in Alabama9537th
Average IQ in Mississippi9434th
What's your personal IQ?
Take a 20-minute calibrated test — your result isn't determined by where you grew up.

What drives state IQ differences?

State-level IQ variation in the US is largely driven by economic factors: educational spending, childhood poverty rates, and industry mix. States with major tech industries attract highly educated workers; states with high childhood poverty see lower average test performance. These are structural factors, not fixed attributes.

See also: Average IQ in the United States · Global average IQ

Take the Core Brain IQ test →