Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Illinois instead of Tennessee, you would:
Health
live 3.0 years longer
In Tennessee, the average life expectancy is 74 years (73 years for men, 78 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 15.2% less likely to have diabetes
In Tennessee, 12.5% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In Illinois, that number is 10.6% as of 2022.
Economy
make 17.5% more money
Tennessee has a GDP per capita of $60,177 as of 2024, while in Illinois, the GDP per capita is $70,691 as of 2024.
be 11.6% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Tennessee, 12.9% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Illinois, however, that number is 11.4% as of 2023.
be 41.2% more likely to be unemployed
In Tennessee, 3.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Illinois, that number is 4.8% as of 2025.
Safety
be 50.0% less likely to be a victim of violent crime
Tennessee has a violent crime rate of 612 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 306 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 26.2% less likely to be a victim of property crime
Tennessee has a property crime rate of 2,301 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 1,697 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
earn 21.8% more money
The median household income in Tennessee is $67,097 as of 2023, while in Illinois, it is $81,702 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 28.4% less likely to be uninsured
In Tennessee, 9.5% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 6.8% as of 2023.
be 29.2% less likely to smoke
In Tennessee, 19.5% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Illinois, that number is 13.8% as of 2022.
be 20.3% less likely to be physically inactive
In Tennessee, 27.6% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In Illinois, that number is 22.0% as of 2022.
be 27.5% more likely to have a bachelor's degree
In Tennessee, 20.0% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 25.5% as of 2023.
be 100.0% more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Tennessee, 3.4% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Illinois, that number is 6.8% as of 2023.
be 13.8% less likely to be food insecure
In Tennessee, 10.9% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Illinois, that number is 9.4% as of 2021.
commute 2.4 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in Tennessee takes 25.7 minutes as of 2023. In Illinois, it takes 28.1 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 31.0% more densely populated
Tennessee has a population density of 67.0 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.
