Quality of life comparison
If you lived in North Dakota instead of Illinois, you would:
Health
be 15.1% less likely to have diabetes
In Illinois, 10.6% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In North Dakota, that number is 9.0% as of 2022.
Economy
make 12.1% more money
Illinois has a GDP per capita of $70,691 as of 2024, while in North Dakota, the GDP per capita is $79,272 as of 2024.
be 47.9% less likely to be unemployed
In Illinois, 4.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In North Dakota, that number is 2.5% as of 2025.
be 12.3% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Illinois, 11.4% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In North Dakota, however, that number is 10.0% as of 2023.
Safety
be 14.3% 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 North Dakota, that number is 262 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 12.2% 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 North Dakota, that number is 1,904 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 23.9% less in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Illinois is $1,227 as of 2023, while in North Dakota, it is $934 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 10.1 minutes less
The average one-way commute in Illinois takes 28.1 minutes as of 2023. In North Dakota, it takes 18.0 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 95.0% less densely populated
Illinois has a population density of 87.8 people per sq km as of 2023. In North Dakota, that number is 4.4 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 43.6% less likely to be food insecure
In Illinois, 9.4% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In North Dakota, that number is 5.3% as of 2021.
be 17.4% more likely to smoke
In Illinois, 13.8% of adults smoke as of 2022. In North Dakota, that number is 16.2% as of 2022.
live among residents who are 3.2 years older on average
The median age in Illinois is 38.9 years as of 2023. In North Dakota, the median age is 35.7 years as of 2023.
be 19.2% 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 North Dakota, that number is 20.6% 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 North Dakota, that number is 2.5% 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), Bureau of Economic Analysis, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
