Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Wyoming instead of Illinois, you would:
Health
be 16.0% less likely to have diabetes
In Illinois, 10.6% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In Wyoming, that number is 8.9% as of 2022.
Economy
be 25.0% less likely to be unemployed
In Illinois, 4.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Wyoming, that number is 3.6% as of 2025.
Safety
be 38.0% 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 Wyoming, that number is 190 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 14.1% less 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 Wyoming, that number is 1,458 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 21.1% less in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Illinois is $1,227 as of 2023, while in Wyoming, it is $968 as of 2023.
pay 13.8% more for a home
The median home value in Illinois is $250,500 as of 2023, compared to $285,100 in Wyoming as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 9.6 minutes less
The average one-way commute in Illinois takes 28.1 minutes as of 2023. In Wyoming, it takes 18.5 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 97.4% less densely populated
Illinois has a population density of 87.8 people per sq km as of 2023. In Wyoming, that number is 2.3 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 64.7% more likely to be uninsured
In Illinois, 6.8% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Wyoming, that number is 11.2% as of 2023.
be 21.0% more likely to smoke
In Illinois, 13.8% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Wyoming, that number is 16.7% as of 2022.
be 21.2% 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 Wyoming, that number is 20.1% as of 2023.
be 70.6% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Illinois, 6.8% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Wyoming, that number is 2.0% as of 2023.
be 10.6% more likely to be food insecure
In Illinois, 9.4% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Wyoming, that number is 10.4% as of 2021.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), OECD Regional Demography (2023), Feeding America (2021). How we calculate this
