Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Illinois instead of Louisiana, you would:
Health
live 3.7 years longer
In Louisiana, the average life expectancy is 73 years (73 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2020. In Illinois, that number is 77 years (76 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020.
be 14.8% less likely to be obese
In Louisiana, 40.6% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Illinois, that number is 34.6% of people as of 2022.
be 20.3% less likely to have diabetes
In Louisiana, 13.3% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In Illinois, that number is 10.6% as of 2022.
Economy
make 27.0% more money
Louisiana has a GDP per capita of $55,662 as of 2024, while in Illinois, the GDP per capita is $70,691 as of 2024.
be 38.0% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Louisiana, 18.4% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Illinois, however, that number is 11.4% as of 2023.
be 23.1% more likely to be unemployed
In Louisiana, 3.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Illinois, that number is 4.8% as of 2025.
Safety
be 43.6% less likely to be a victim of violent crime
Louisiana has a violent crime rate of 543 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 306 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 34.8% less likely to be a victim of property crime
Louisiana has a property crime rate of 2,605 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 1,697 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
earn 36.1% more money
The median household income in Louisiana is $60,023 as of 2023, while in Illinois, it is $81,702 as of 2023.
pay 20.0% more for a home
The median home value in Louisiana is $208,700 as of 2023, compared to $250,500 in Illinois as of 2023.
pay 18.2% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Louisiana is $1,038 as of 2023, while in Illinois, it is $1,227 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 13.9% less likely to be uninsured
In Louisiana, 7.9% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 6.8% as of 2023.
be 28.1% less likely to smoke
In Louisiana, 19.2% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Illinois, that number is 13.8% as of 2022.
be 25.4% less likely to be physically inactive
In Louisiana, 29.5% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In Illinois, that number is 22.0% as of 2022.
be 42.5% more likely to have a bachelor's degree
In Louisiana, 17.9% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 25.5% as of 2023.
be 2.4 times more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Louisiana, 2.8% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 6.8% as of 2023.
be 36.5% less likely to be food insecure
In Louisiana, 14.8% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Illinois, that number is 9.4% as of 2021.
commute 2.3 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in Louisiana takes 25.8 minutes as of 2023. In Illinois, it takes 28.1 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 2.2 times more densely populated
Louisiana has a population density of 40.7 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: 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.
