Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Illinois instead of South Dakota, you would:
Health
be 23.3% more likely to have diabetes
In South Dakota, 8.6% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In Illinois, that number is 10.6% as of 2022.
Economy
make 14.5% more money
South Dakota has a GDP per capita of $61,724 as of 2024, while in Illinois, the GDP per capita is $70,691 as of 2024.
be 100.0% more likely to be unemployed
In South Dakota, 2.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Illinois, that number is 4.8% as of 2025.
Safety
be 11.0% less likely to be a victim of violent crime
South Dakota has a violent crime rate of 344 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 306 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
earn 12.8% more money
The median household income in South Dakota is $72,421 as of 2023, while in Illinois, it is $81,702 as of 2023.
pay 34.5% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in South Dakota is $912 as of 2023, while in Illinois, it is $1,227 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 21.8% less likely to be uninsured
In South Dakota, 8.7% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 6.8% as of 2023.
be 13.2% less likely to smoke
In South Dakota, 15.9% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Illinois, that number is 13.8% as of 2022.
live among residents who are 1.2 years older on average
The median age in South Dakota is 37.7 years as of 2023. In Illinois, the median age is 38.9 years as of 2023.
be 28.8% more likely to have a bachelor's degree
In South Dakota, 19.8% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 25.5% as of 2023.
be 3.2 times more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In South Dakota, 2.1% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 6.8% as of 2023.
commute 10.5 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in South Dakota takes 17.6 minutes as of 2023. In Illinois, it takes 28.1 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 18.7 times more densely populated
South Dakota has a population density of 4.7 people per sq km as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 87.8 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 20.5% more likely to be food insecure
In South Dakota, 7.8% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Illinois, that number is 9.4% as of 2021.
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.
