Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Illinois instead of New Mexico, you would:
Health
live 2.3 years longer
In New Mexico, the average life expectancy is 74 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2020. In Illinois, that number is 77 years (76 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020.
Economy
make 26.2% more money
New Mexico has a GDP per capita of $56,008 as of 2024, while in Illinois, the GDP per capita is $70,691 as of 2024.
be 35.6% less likely to live below the poverty line
In New Mexico, 17.7% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Illinois, however, that number is 11.4% as of 2023.
be 14.3% more likely to be unemployed
In New Mexico, 4.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Illinois, that number is 4.8% as of 2025.
Safety
be 58.9% less likely to be a victim of violent crime
New Mexico has a violent crime rate of 745 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 306 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 40.9% less likely to be a victim of property crime
New Mexico has a property crime rate of 2,872 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 1,697 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
earn 31.5% more money
The median household income in New Mexico is $62,125 as of 2023, while in Illinois, it is $81,702 as of 2023.
pay 20.2% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in New Mexico is $1,021 as of 2023, while in Illinois, it is $1,227 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 26.9% less likely to be uninsured
In New Mexico, 9.3% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 6.8% as of 2023.
be 15.9% less likely to smoke
In New Mexico, 16.4% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Illinois, that number is 13.8% as of 2022.
be 23.8% more likely to have a bachelor's degree
In New Mexico, 20.6% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 25.5% as of 2023.
be 33.3% more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In New Mexico, 5.1% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 6.8% as of 2023.
be 29.9% less likely to be food insecure
In New Mexico, 13.4% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Illinois, that number is 9.4% as of 2021.
commute 4.9 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in New Mexico takes 23.2 minutes as of 2023. In Illinois, it takes 28.1 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 12.9 times more densely populated
New Mexico has a population density of 6.8 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.
