Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Illinois instead of North Carolina, you would:
Economy
make 19.2% more money
North Carolina has a GDP per capita of $59,308 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 North Carolina, 3.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Illinois, that number is 4.8% as of 2025.
Safety
be 19.2% less likely to be a victim of violent crime
North Carolina has a violent crime rate of 379 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 306 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 15.1% less likely to be a victim of property crime
North Carolina has a property crime rate of 1,998 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 1,697 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
earn 16.9% more money
The median household income in North Carolina is $69,904 as of 2023, while in Illinois, it is $81,702 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 29.2% less likely to be uninsured
In North Carolina, 9.6% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 6.8% as of 2023.
be 13.3% more likely to have a bachelor's degree
In North Carolina, 22.5% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 25.5% as of 2023.
be 41.7% more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In North Carolina, 4.8% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 6.8% as of 2023.
be 16.1% less likely to be food insecure
In North Carolina, 11.2% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Illinois, that number is 9.4% as of 2021.
commute 3.0 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in North Carolina takes 25.1 minutes as of 2023. In Illinois, it takes 28.1 minutes as of 2023.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Feeding America, Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
