I don't want to give away the lead right off the bat, but I can tell you that Illinois' happiest city is listed in the photo above...but, it's not Rockford.
With election season rolling around, chances are you won't see many incumbents featuring that fun fact in their campaign commercials, since our stunningly high tax rates are what's driving people out of Illinois to begin with.
Okay, let's get this over with. It's not nude photos or porn. Not that there aren't plenty of people wandering around the Rockford area that do have nude photos or porn on their phones, but I don't think even the most dedicated bedroom photographer would have an average of 123 of those photos.
When my wife Amy and I tied the knot in June of 1991, the cost of an average wedding in the United States was $15,580. As you might imagine, that cost has gone up substantially since then.
I know, I know. If you live here in Illinois, especially in the Rockford and Northern Illinois areas, this is NOT A NEWSFLASH. You've probably had to deal with potholes your entire life.
If you happen to be single, this is supposed to be encouraging. If you're married, and reading this spurs you toward being single, please just leave me out of it. I don't want any troubles with angry spouses.
You may have seen it pointed out that Kevin McCallister's parents in the movie Home Alone (set here in Illinois) would have been looking at serious trouble for leaving an 8 year old to knock around that fabulous house all by himself.
My parents grew up during the Great Depression, and that fact was made clear in many ways, but most notably in the foods they refused to eat. There weren't any. Period. Full stop.
The FBI says that in 2020, there were 314 burglaries for every 100,000 people nationwide. However, in three Illinois cities, that number was a whole lot higher.