Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Maryland instead of Illinois, you would:
Economy
be 22.9% less likely to be unemployed
In Illinois, 4.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Maryland, that number is 3.7% as of 2025.
be 21.1% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Illinois, 11.4% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Maryland, however, that number is 9.0% as of 2023.
Safety
be 37.4% more likely to be a victim of violent crime
Illinois has a violent crime rate of 306 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Maryland, that number is 420 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 20.4% more 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 Maryland, that number is 2,043 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
earn 24.4% more money
The median household income in Illinois is $81,702 as of 2023, while in Maryland, it is $101,652 as of 2023.
pay 58.8% more for a home
The median home value in Illinois is $250,500 as of 2023, compared to $397,700 in Maryland as of 2023.
pay 35.5% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Illinois is $1,227 as of 2023, while in Maryland, it is $1,662 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 11.8% less likely to be uninsured
In Illinois, 6.8% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Maryland, that number is 6.0% as of 2023.
be 13.0% less likely to smoke
In Illinois, 13.8% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Maryland, that number is 12.0% as of 2022.
be 14.1% more 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 Maryland, that number is 29.1% as of 2023.
commute 3.4 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in Illinois takes 28.1 minutes as of 2023. In Maryland, it takes 31.5 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 2.8 times more densely populated
Illinois has a population density of 87.8 people per sq km as of 2023. In Maryland, that number is 245.6 people per sq km as of 2023.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: OECD Regional Demography, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
