Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Dakota instead of Illinois, you would:
Health
be 18.9% less likely to have diabetes
In Illinois, 10.6% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In South Dakota, that number is 8.6% as of 2022.
Economy
be 50.0% less likely to be unemployed
In Illinois, 4.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In South Dakota, that number is 2.4% as of 2025.
make 12.7% less money
Illinois has a GDP per capita of $70,691 as of 2024, while in South Dakota, the GDP per capita is $61,724 as of 2024.
Safety
be 12.4% 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 South Dakota, that number is 344 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 25.7% less in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Illinois is $1,227 as of 2023, while in South Dakota, it is $912 as of 2023.
earn 11.4% less money
The median household income in Illinois is $81,702 as of 2023, while in South Dakota, it is $72,421 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 10.5 minutes less
The average one-way commute in Illinois takes 28.1 minutes as of 2023. In South Dakota, it takes 17.6 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 94.6% less densely populated
Illinois has a population density of 87.8 people per sq km as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 4.7 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 17.0% less likely to be food insecure
In Illinois, 9.4% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In South Dakota, that number is 7.8% as of 2021.
be 27.9% more likely to be uninsured
In Illinois, 6.8% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 8.7% as of 2023.
be 15.2% more likely to smoke
In Illinois, 13.8% of adults smoke as of 2022. In South Dakota, that number is 15.9% as of 2022.
live among residents who are 1.2 years older on average
The median age in Illinois is 38.9 years as of 2023. In South Dakota, the median age is 37.7 years as of 2023.
be 22.4% 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 South Dakota, that number is 19.8% as of 2023.
be 69.1% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Illinois, 6.8% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 2.1% 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.
