

Illinois vs Virginia
Virginia comes out ahead of Illinois on 443 of 805 statistics where one end is better, to 341 with 21 ties. Illinois leads on Facts & Trivia. Virginia leads on Geography, Crime & Safety and Population and 10 more categories.
At a glance
Headline statistics, each ranked among all US states.
| Statistic | Illinois | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,735,249 6th of 51 | 8,940,572 12th of 51 |
| Median Household IncomeHousing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | $83,390 18th of 51 | $93,170 12th of 51 |
| Unemployment Rate (%)Unemployment Rate by State (BLS) | 4.6% tied 40th of 51 | 3.4% tied 10th of 51 |
| Poverty Rate (%)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | 11.8% 26th of 51 | 9.89% 7th of 51 |
| Price Level (All Items)Cost of Living by State (Regional Price Parities) | 100.0 33rd of 51 | 101.1 36th of 51 |
| Real Personal Income per Person (2017 Dollars)Real Personal Income by State | $60,333 17th of 51 | $61,914 15th of 51 |
| Average Annual Wage, All JobsAverage Wage by State (BLS) | $71,130 16th of 51 | $74,040 11th of 51 |
| Median Rent (Monthly, Capped at $3,501)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | $1,274 28th of 51 | $1,579 40th of 51 |
| Violent Crime Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by State (FBI) | 251.0 21st of 51 | 205.9 8th of 51 |
| Heating Degree Days per YearClimate by State (1991–2020 Averages) | 6,104 32nd of 48 | 4,258 15th of 48 |
By category
Average percentile on each category's widely ranked statistics.
- GeographyVirginia · 25 statistics
- Crime & SafetyVirginia · 76 statistics
- PopulationVirginia · 125 statistics
- Infrastructure & EnergyVirginia · 36 statistics
- Politics & GovernmentVirginia · 128 statistics
- EducationVirginia · 51 statistics
- CultureVirginia · 79 statistics
- AgricultureVirginia · 15 statistics
- HealthVirginia · 185 statistics
- EconomicsVirginia · 290 statistics
- TravelVirginia · 29 statistics
- SportsVirginia · 17 statistics
- Facts & TriviaIllinois · 18 statistics
- EnvironmentVirginia · 40 statistics
- Tech & BusinessEven · 48 statistics
- LawEven · 72 statistics
Biggest differences
The 30 statistics where their rankings differ most, among rankings of at least 26 US states.
| Statistic | Illinois | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Online Cost Of Sample TinChewing Tobacco Prices by State | $3.23 29th of 30 | $1.13 2nd of 30 |
| Overall RankWorst States to Retire | 7th 7th worst of 50 | 50th best of 50 |
| NIghtlife Rank (WH)Most Boring States | 6th 6th of 50 | 47th 47th of 50 |
| Weekly PaySchool Counselor Salary by State | $872 tied 44th of 50 | $1,162 4th of 50 |
| Air Quality IndexAir Quality by State | 50.4 48th of 51 | 35.3 7th of 51 |
| Annual SalarySchool Counselor Salary by State | $45,366 44th of 50 | $60,464 4th of 50 |
| Hourly WageSchool Counselor Salary by State | $21.81 44th of 50 | $29.07 4th of 50 |
| Monthly PaySchool Counselor Salary by State | $3,780 44th of 50 | $5,038 4th of 50 |
| County Road Accidents 2018-2022Jaywalking Laws By State | 0.7% 3rd of 27 | 21.7% 24th of 27 |
| SSI Judicial AccountabilityMost Corrupt States | 48.7 tied 43rd of 50 | 72 4th of 50 |
| Speeding IncidentsWorst Drivers by State | 1.4 per 1k drivers 8th of 51 | 5.9 per 1k drivers 48th of 51 |
| SSI Political Financing ScoreMost Corrupt States | 74.1 7th of 50 | 39.3 46th of 50 |
| Attractive People RankMost Attractive States | 1st 1st of 49 | 40th 39th of 49 |
| 3-Year Re-Incarceration (VADOC)Recidivism Rates by State | 36.7% 27th of 34 | 17.6% 1st of 34 |
| Teacher's Union Rank (1=Strongest)States with Teacher Unions | 8th 8th of 51 | 47th 47th of 51 |
| Obesity Rate - HispanicMost Obese States | 38.7% tied 42nd of 48 | 32.2% 6th of 48 |
| Air Quality Rank (US News)Air Quality by State | 47th 47th of 50 | 9th 9th of 50 |
| Days with Unhealthy Air Quality (US News)Air Quality by State | 219 47th of 50 | 90 9th of 50 |
| Richest Person AgeRichest Person by State | 37 47th of 47 | 84 tied 11th of 47 |
| Cocaine Use Past MonthDrug Use by State | 2.55% 47th of 51 | 1.61% 9th of 51 |
| Costs RankFarming-Friendly States | 48th 48th of 50 | 11th 11th of 50 |
| Forest Coverage (1-10)Best States for Camping | 1.36 45th of 49 | 6.98 9th of 49 |
| Avg Combined Sales Tax RateInternet Sales Tax by State | 8.96% 40th of 47 | 5.77% 6th of 47 |
| Forest CoverageOff-Grid Living Legal States | 13.6% 45th of 50 | 62.9% 9th of 50 |
| FTE Lack of Laws RankMost Corrupt States | 40th 11th best of 50 | 4th 4th worst of 50 |
| % Change in Prison Pop. 2021-2022Prison Population by State | 654.0% 38th of 50 | -3,195.0% 2nd of 50 |
| CAS Legal Judicial Corruption Level (1-5)Most Corrupt States | 3 tied 36th of 48 | 1 tied 1st of 48 |
| Cost Per CapitaPrisons by State | $163 7th of 50 | $310 42nd of 50 |
| Homeless RateHomeless Population by State | 21.0 Per 10k Residents 38th of 51 | 8.0 Per 10k Residents tied 2nd of 51 |
| Debt-To-Income Ratio HighDebt by State | 1.11% tied 1st of 51 | 1.6% tied 37th of 51 |
Quick answers
- Which is better, Illinois or Virginia?
- Virginia comes out ahead of Illinois on 443 of 805 statistics where one end is better, to 341 with 21 ties. Illinois leads on Facts & Trivia. Virginia leads on Geography, Crime & Safety and Population and 10 more categories. Statistics where neither end is better, and totals that mostly track population, are not counted.
- Which has more people, Illinois or Virginia?
- Illinois has a population of 12,735,249 (6th of 51 US states) and Virginia has 8,940,572 (12th of 51).
- How do Illinois and Virginia compare on Median Household Income?
- Median Household Income: Illinois $83,390 (18th of 51), Virginia $93,170 (12th of 51) among US states. Virginia ranks better.
- How do Illinois and Virginia compare on Unemployment Rate (%)?
- Unemployment Rate (%): Illinois 4.6% (tied 40th of 51), Virginia 3.4% (tied 10th of 51) among US states. Virginia ranks better.
- Where does Illinois beat Virginia most clearly?
- Illinois ranks far ahead on NIghtlife Rank (WH) (Most Boring States): 6th vs 47th; County Road Accidents 2018-2022 (Jaywalking Laws By State): 0.7% vs 21.7%; Speeding Incidents (Worst Drivers by State): 1.4 per 1k drivers vs 5.9 per 1k drivers.
- Where does Virginia beat Illinois most clearly?
- Virginia ranks far ahead on Online Cost Of Sample Tin (Chewing Tobacco Prices by State): $1.13 vs $3.23; Overall Rank (Worst States to Retire): 50th vs 7th; Weekly Pay (School Counselor Salary by State): $1,162 vs $872.
More matchups
Other comparisons with Illinois or Virginia.
- Alabama vs Illinois
- Alaska vs Illinois
- Arizona vs Illinois
- Arkansas vs Illinois
- California vs Illinois
- Colorado vs Illinois
- Connecticut vs Illinois
- Delaware vs Illinois
- Alabama vs Virginia
- Alaska vs Virginia
- Arizona vs Virginia
- Arkansas vs Virginia
- California vs Virginia
- Colorado vs Virginia
- Connecticut vs Virginia
- Delaware vs Virginia