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 the labor force is 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.
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), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2023), Feeding America (2021). How we calculate this
