Tipping Culture in 2025 – How Generous Are Iowans?

A recent article from Tradingpedia took a look at tipping habits in America, and there were some really interesting results! According to an online survey of more than 2,000 adults, the average tip across the U.S. for early 2025 is 18.85%. Let's break things down even further...

Who are the Most Generous Tippers?

If we're talking gender, it appears that men tend to tip more than women, but not by much. Men tip an average of 19.07%, while women tip an average of 18.6%.

If we're talking generation, millennials are the ones who tip the most, with an average of 19.5%. Gen Z was just behind them at 19.31%.

And, if we're talking states, Delaware has the highest average tip of 21.25%. Indiana and West Virginia round out the top three.

Where Does Iowa Fall on the List?

Iowans are slightly above the national average when it comes to tipping. We actually ranked really high on the list, coming in at number 5 out of all 50 states! Iowans tip an average of 19.74%. It's less than the standard 20% rule, but at least we're not on the other end of the list...

Who are the WORST Tippers?

Overall, it looks like California has the least generous tippers, with an average of $17.40. Washington state wasn't far behind at $17.51. But, that might have something to do with wages. The article from Tradingpedia reads:

"There is an interesting correlation between the minimum wage and the average tips. As of March 2025, the State of Washington has the highest minimum wage in the country; it is 16.66 per hour and it is adjusted annually. The second-highest minimum state wage is in California, $16.50/hour. 

In addition, the Department of Labor website says that both California and Washington are states that "require employers to pay tipped employees full state minimum wage before tips." Here in Iowa, things are a bit different. The minimum wage is $7.25, but Law Info says, "for tipped employees, the minimum wage is $4.35 an hour if your tips add up to more than $30 a month."

The actual worst tippers are the 7% of Americans surveyed who said they NEVER leave a tip. Never! The percentage is low, but it still seems like too many people.

What Factors Determine How Much We Tip?

Not surprisingly, the quality of service is super important to people. The study says that 57.16% of people surveyed "believe that the quality of service, along with the staff’s attitude and professionalism, are the most important factors when deciding whether to tip." 

Other factors that people consider are social pressure, how much the person's wage is, and how much it will cost overall.

Has Tipping Culture Gotten Out of Control?

In a word... yes. When asked if tipping has changed over the past five years, the majority of those surveyed said it definitely has. 71% of respondents said that "tipping now is expected too often and the suggested tips are too high." Another 13.3% said that they agree that tipping expectations have increased in specific industries.

What are Your Rules for Tipping?

When out to eat at a restaurant, I typically figure out what a 20% tip would be (using a calculator because math is hard) and and then round it up to the nearest dollar. Even if I have not-so-great service, I still feel obligated to leave something. A lot of times, servers are dealing with issues that are out of their control, and we have ALL experienced that frustration at work at one point or another. Or, maybe they're just having an off day. Unless somebody is straight up rude to my face, I can't really imagine purposely not leaving a tip. I also typically tip my hair dressers, tattoo artists, food delivery drivers, and Uber/Lyft drivers. I'll usually leave a couple of bucks when I order takeout from a restaurant, too.

What are your rules when it comes to tipping certain industries? Let us know in the comments or by sending us a message on our station app!

Read more results from the survey from Tradingpedia HERE.