Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania, that number is 3.7% as of 2025.
make 13.0% less money
Illinois has a GDP per capita of $70,691 as of 2024, while in Pennsylvania, the GDP per capita is $61,506 as of 2024.
Safety
be 13.6% 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 Pennsylvania, that number is 264 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 1.5 minutes less
The average one-way commute in Illinois takes 28.1 minutes as of 2023. In Pennsylvania, it takes 26.6 minutes as of 2023.
be 19.1% less likely to be uninsured
In Illinois, 6.8% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Pennsylvania, that number is 5.5% as of 2023.
live among residents who are 2.0 years older on average
The median age in Illinois is 38.9 years as of 2023. In Pennsylvania, the median age is 40.9 years as of 2023.
be 21.7% more likely to smoke
In Illinois, 13.8% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Pennsylvania, that number is 16.8% as of 2022.
live in an area that is 27.8% more densely populated
Illinois has a population density of 87.8 people per sq km as of 2023. In Pennsylvania, that number is 112.2 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 51.5% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Illinois, 6.8% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Pennsylvania, that number is 3.3% 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), Bureau of Economic Analysis, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
