Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Illinois instead of Maryland, you would:
Economy
be 29.7% more likely to be unemployed
In Maryland, 3.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Illinois, that number is 4.8% as of 2025.
be 26.7% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Maryland, 9.0% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Illinois, however, that number is 11.4% as of 2023.
Safety
be 27.2% less likely to be a victim of violent crime
Maryland has a violent crime rate of 420 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 306 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 16.9% less likely to be a victim of property crime
Maryland has a property crime rate of 2,043 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 1,697 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 37.0% less for a home
The median home value in Maryland is $397,700 as of 2023, compared to $250,500 in Illinois as of 2023.
pay 26.2% less in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Maryland is $1,662 as of 2023, while in Illinois, it is $1,227 as of 2023.
earn 19.6% less money
The median household income in Maryland is $101,652 as of 2023, while in Illinois, it is $81,702 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 3.4 minutes less
The average one-way commute in Maryland takes 31.5 minutes as of 2023. In Illinois, it takes 28.1 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 64.3% less densely populated
Maryland has a population density of 245.6 people per sq km as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 87.8 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 13.3% more likely to be uninsured
In Maryland, 6.0% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 6.8% as of 2023.
be 15.0% more likely to smoke
In Maryland, 12.0% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Illinois, that number is 13.8% as of 2022.
be 12.4% less likely to have a bachelor's degree
In Maryland, 29.1% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 25.5% as of 2023.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), OECD Regional Demography (2023). How we calculate this
