Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Illinois instead of Kansas, you would:
Economy
make 15.9% more money
Kansas has a GDP per capita of $60,996 as of 2024, while in Illinois, the GDP per capita is $70,691 as of 2024.
be 41.2% more likely to be unemployed
In Kansas, 3.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Illinois, that number is 4.8% as of 2025.
Safety
be 27.9% less likely to be a victim of violent crime
Kansas has a violent crime rate of 424 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 306 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 17.9% less likely to be a victim of property crime
Kansas has a property crime rate of 2,068 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 1,697 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
earn 12.5% more money
The median household income in Kansas is $72,639 as of 2023, while in Illinois, it is $81,702 as of 2023.
pay 23.2% more for a home
The median home value in Kansas is $203,400 as of 2023, compared to $250,500 in Illinois as of 2023.
pay 19.2% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Kansas is $1,029 as of 2023, while in Illinois, it is $1,227 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 20.9% less likely to be uninsured
In Kansas, 8.6% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 6.8% as of 2023.
be 12.7% less likely to smoke
In Kansas, 15.8% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Illinois, that number is 13.8% as of 2022.
live among residents who are 1.7 years older on average
The median age in Kansas is 37.2 years as of 2023. In Illinois, the median age is 38.9 years as of 2023.
be 11.8% more likely to have a bachelor's degree
In Kansas, 22.8% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 25.5% as of 2023.
be 65.9% more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Kansas, 4.1% 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 Kansas takes 19.8 minutes as of 2023. In Illinois, it takes 28.1 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 6.3 times more densely populated
Kansas has a population density of 13.9 people per sq km as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 87.8 people per sq km as of 2023.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: 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.
