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 the labor force is 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.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), OECD Regional Demography (2023), Feeding America (2021). How we calculate this
