Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Virginia instead of Illinois, you would:
Health
live 0.8 years longer
In Illinois, the average life expectancy is 77 years (76 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020. In Virginia, that number is 78 years (77 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2020.
Economy
be 29.2% less likely to be unemployed
In Illinois, 4.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Virginia, that number is 3.4% as of 2025.
be 17.5% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Illinois, 11.4% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Virginia, however, that number is 9.4% as of 2023.
Safety
be 24.2% 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 Virginia, that number is 232 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
earn 11.3% more money
The median household income in Illinois is $81,702 as of 2023, while in Virginia, it is $90,974 as of 2023.
pay 44.0% more for a home
The median home value in Illinois is $250,500 as of 2023, compared to $360,700 in Virginia as of 2023.
pay 23.4% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Illinois is $1,227 as of 2023, while in Virginia, it is $1,514 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 16.0% less likely to be food insecure
In Illinois, 9.4% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Virginia, that number is 7.9% as of 2021.
be 19.1% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Illinois, 6.8% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Virginia, that number is 5.5% as of 2023.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Feeding America, OECD Regional Demography, Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
