Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Idaho instead of Alabama, you would:
Health
live 5.2 years longer
In Alabama, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2020. In Idaho, that number is 78 years (78 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020.
be 15.4% less likely to be obese
In Alabama, 39.6% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Idaho, that number is 33.5% of people as of 2022.
be 29.7% less likely to have diabetes
In Alabama, 12.8% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In Idaho, that number is 9.0% as of 2022.
Economy
be 34.5% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Alabama, 14.8% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Idaho, however, that number is 9.7% as of 2023.
be 52.2% more likely to be unemployed
In Alabama, 2.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Idaho, that number is 3.5% as of 2025.
Safety
be 43.0% less likely to be a victim of violent crime
Alabama has a violent crime rate of 397 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Idaho, that number is 226 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 53.1% less likely to be a victim of property crime
Alabama has a property crime rate of 1,671 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Idaho, that number is 784 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
earn 20.3% more money
The median household income in Alabama is $62,027 as of 2023, while in Idaho, it is $74,636 as of 2023.
pay 92.7% more for a home
The median home value in Alabama is $195,100 as of 2023, compared to $376,000 in Idaho as of 2023.
pay 19.4% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Alabama is $963 as of 2023, while in Idaho, it is $1,150 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 3.8 minutes less
The average one-way commute in Alabama takes 25.4 minutes as of 2023. In Idaho, it takes 21.6 minutes as of 2023.
be 20.0% less likely to smoke
In Alabama, 17.0% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Idaho, that number is 13.6% as of 2022.
be 20.4% less likely to be physically inactive
In Alabama, 27.9% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In Idaho, that number is 22.2% as of 2022.
live in an area that is 76.3% less densely populated
Alabama has a population density of 38.9 people per sq km as of 2023. In Idaho, that number is 9.2 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 31.8% more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Alabama, 2.2% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Idaho, that number is 2.9% as of 2023.
be 46.5% less likely to be food insecure
In Alabama, 14.4% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Idaho, that number is 7.7% as of 2021.
live among residents who are 2.2 years older on average
The median age in Alabama is 39.3 years as of 2023. In Idaho, the median age is 37.1 years as of 2023.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Feeding America, OECD Regional Demography, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.