Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Illinois instead of Iowa, you would:
Health
be 10.6% less likely to be obese
In Iowa, 38.7% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Illinois, that number is 34.6% of people as of 2022.
Economy
make 10.9% more money
Iowa has a GDP per capita of $63,747 as of 2024, while in Illinois, the GDP per capita is $70,691 as of 2024.
be 45.5% more likely to be unemployed
In Iowa, 3.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Illinois, that number is 4.8% as of 2025.
Safety
be 10.4% more likely to be a victim of violent crime
Iowa has a violent crime rate of 277 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 306 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 19.0% more likely to be a victim of property crime
Iowa has a property crime rate of 1,427 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 1,697 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
earn 11.7% more money
The median household income in Iowa is $73,147 as of 2023, while in Illinois, it is $81,702 as of 2023.
pay 27.9% more for a home
The median home value in Iowa is $195,900 as of 2023, compared to $250,500 in Illinois as of 2023.
pay 29.3% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Iowa is $949 as of 2023, while in Illinois, it is $1,227 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 15.9% less likely to smoke
In Iowa, 16.4% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Illinois, that number is 13.8% as of 2022.
be 11.6% less likely to be physically inactive
In Iowa, 24.9% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In Illinois, that number is 22.0% as of 2022.
be 25.0% more likely to have a bachelor's degree
In Iowa, 20.4% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 25.5% as of 2023.
be 2.2 times more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Iowa, 3.1% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 6.8% as of 2023.
commute 8.3 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in Iowa takes 19.8 minutes as of 2023. In Illinois, it takes 28.1 minutes as of 2023.
be 44.7% more likely to be uninsured
In Iowa, 4.7% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 6.8% as of 2023.
live in an area that is 4.0 times more densely populated
Iowa has a population density of 22.2 people per sq km as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 87.8 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 27.0% more likely to be food insecure
In Iowa, 7.4% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Illinois, that number is 9.4% as of 2021.
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.
