Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Iowa instead of Illinois, you would:
Health
be 11.8% more likely to be obese
In Illinois, 34.6% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Iowa, that number is 38.7% of people as of 2022.
Economy
be 31.2% less likely to be unemployed
In Illinois, 4.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Iowa, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.
Safety
be 15.9% less likely to be a victim of property crime
Illinois has a property crime rate of 1,697 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Iowa, that number is 1,427 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 21.8% less for a home
The median home value in Illinois is $250,500 as of 2023, compared to $195,900 in Iowa as of 2023.
pay 22.7% less in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Illinois is $1,227 as of 2023, while in Iowa, it is $949 as of 2023.
earn 10.5% less money
The median household income in Illinois is $81,702 as of 2023, while in Iowa, it is $73,147 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 8.3 minutes less
The average one-way commute in Illinois takes 28.1 minutes as of 2023. In Iowa, it takes 19.8 minutes as of 2023.
be 30.9% less likely to be uninsured
In Illinois, 6.8% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Iowa, that number is 4.7% as of 2023.
live in an area that is 74.7% less densely populated
Illinois has a population density of 87.8 people per sq km as of 2023. In Iowa, that number is 22.2 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 21.3% less likely to be food insecure
In Illinois, 9.4% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Iowa, that number is 7.4% as of 2021.
be 18.8% more likely to smoke
In Illinois, 13.8% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Iowa, that number is 16.4% as of 2022.
be 13.2% more likely to be physically inactive
In Illinois, 22.0% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In Iowa, that number is 24.9% as of 2022.
be 20.0% less likely to have a bachelor's degree
In Illinois, 25.5% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2023. In Iowa, that number is 20.4% as of 2023.
be 54.4% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Illinois, 6.8% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Iowa, that number is 3.1% 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.
