Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Kentucky instead of Illinois, you would:
Health
live 3.3 years less
In Illinois, the average life expectancy is 77 years (76 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020. In Kentucky, that number is 74 years (73 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2020.
be 10.4% more likely to be obese
In Illinois, 34.6% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Kentucky, that number is 38.2% of people as of 2022.
be 12.3% more likely to have diabetes
In Illinois, 10.6% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In Kentucky, that number is 11.9% as of 2022.
Economy
be 27.1% less likely to be unemployed
In Illinois, 4.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Kentucky, that number is 3.5% as of 2025.
make 29.1% less money
Illinois has a GDP per capita of $70,691 as of 2024, while in Kentucky, the GDP per capita is $50,135 as of 2024.
be 35.1% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Illinois, 11.4% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Kentucky, however, that number is 15.4% as of 2023.
Safety
be 28.0% less likely to be a victim of violent crime
Illinois has a violent crime rate of 306 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Kentucky, that number is 220 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 10.2% 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 Kentucky, that number is 1,525 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 23.2% less for a home
The median home value in Illinois is $250,500 as of 2023, compared to $192,300 in Kentucky as of 2023.
pay 24.0% less in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Illinois is $1,227 as of 2023, while in Kentucky, it is $933 as of 2023.
earn 23.6% less money
The median household income in Illinois is $81,702 as of 2023, while in Kentucky, it is $62,417 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 4.1 minutes less
The average one-way commute in Illinois takes 28.1 minutes as of 2023. In Kentucky, it takes 24.0 minutes as of 2023.
be 16.2% less likely to be uninsured
In Illinois, 6.8% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Kentucky, that number is 5.7% as of 2023.
live in an area that is 49.7% less densely populated
Illinois has a population density of 87.8 people per sq km as of 2023. In Kentucky, that number is 44.2 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 35.5% more likely to smoke
In Illinois, 13.8% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Kentucky, that number is 18.7% as of 2022.
be 17.3% more likely to be physically inactive
In Illinois, 22.0% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In Kentucky, that number is 25.8% as of 2022.
be 29.4% 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 Kentucky, that number is 18.0% as of 2023.
be 63.2% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Illinois, 6.8% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Kentucky, that number is 2.5% as of 2023.
be 34.0% more likely to be food insecure
In Illinois, 9.4% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Kentucky, that number is 12.6% as of 2021.
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), Bureau of Economic Analysis, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
