Illinois, known as the Prairie State, became the 21st state on Dec. 3, 1818. It was first organized as a territory in 1809. The state capital is Springfield, and the largest city is Chicago.
According to the US Census Bureau, the estimated population of Illinois was 12,671,821 in 2020. It ranks 6th among states in population and 25th in land area. The state ranks third in the United States in the number of highway interstate miles.
Official Illinois State Symbols
![](https://blog.ncponline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/illinois-flag-1024x576.jpg)
Every state has their own unique symbols, from birds to flowers to songs and more! Here are some of Illinois’ official state symbols:
– Snack: Popcorn
– Vegetable: Sweet corn
– Exercise: Cycling
– Fish: Bluegill
– Tree: White oak
– Bird: Cardinal
– Animal: White-tailed deer
– Insect: Monarch butterfly
Find more information about Illinois’ state symbols here.
Fun Facts about Illinois
The Chicago Public Library is the world’s largest public library with a collection of more than 2 million books.
Illinois was home to President Ulysses S. Grant, whose home is preserved in Galena.
Illinois’ slogan is the Land of Lincoln because Abraham Lincoln lived there for 31 years. Today visitors can see Lincoln’s home and his tomb in Springfield.
The Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago is one of only three major free zoos in the country, and is the nation’s oldest public zoo.
Twinkies were invented on April 6, 1930 in River Forest, Illinois
Famous people from Illinois include model Cindy Crawford, Walt Disney, Ernest Hemingway, Miles Davis, and Harrison Ford.
NCP Panel Members in Illinois
Want to learn more about your fellow panel members in another state? Here’s how our Illinois panel members answered some of our survey questions!
How long have you been a panel member?
– 35% of survey respondents have been members for 15 or more years!
– 8% have been members for less than a year.
– 88% of respondents have lived in Illinois for more than 15 years.
Is the area you live rural, suburban, or urban?
– 23% live in rural areas
– 59% live in suburban areas
– 18% live in urban areas
Do you have children?
– 67% of respondents have children
– Of those, 20% have children living in their home
Shopping habits of NCP Panel Members in Illinois
Do you think peoples’ shopping habits differ based on where they live? We’re curious about this, so we asked our panel members questions about how, when, and where they shop, along with some other questions about their habits.
Here’s what our panel members in Illinois had to say about their shopping habits:
– 66% of respondents shop both online and in-store, with 32% shopping in-store only.
– 62% of respondents tend to shop at the same stores.
– 74% of respondents mostly stick to their list when shopping, but sometimes make impulse purchases.
– 69% of respondents shop alone, with another 21% shopping with a spouse or partner.
When it comes to choosing where to shop, 53% of panel members shop at grocery stores. Another 32% primarily shop at mass-merchandise retailers. Price, location, and convenience are the top factors that influence where people decide to shop. Other things that influence where panel members shop are loyalty programs, whether a store is dog-friendly, and the availability of specific products such as gluten-free or organic items.
Nearly all of our survey respondents look for ways to save money while shopping, with digital coupons and store loyalty programs being the most popular options.
Convenience while shopping
While ordering groceries and other items online has long been an option, the COVID-19 pandemic made delivery and pick-up a lot more common for people.
Here’s what Illinois panel members had to say about it:
– 68% never order groceries online and pick up at the store, while 25% do sometimes.
– 66% never order groceries online to be delivered, while 24% do sometimes.
We also wondered if the weather influenced a person’s choice between online and in-person shopping. 32% of respondents said weather doesn’t impact their decision, with 36% saying they prefer in-person shopping regardless of the weather.
And finally: self-checkout. Some people love it, others hate it. According to our survey, 21% of respondents always choose self-checkout, with another 39% indicating they frequently choose it. 28% of respondents rarely use it, and 13% never do.
Interests of NCP panel members in Illinois
Here are a few other fun facts about Illinois panel members from our survey!
More than half of respondents engage in outdoor recreational activities regularly or occasionally. The most popular outdoor activities are hiking and walking- it was a favorite for 83% of panel members. A few of the unique answers panel members wrote in include gardening, fishing, and camping.
We asked panelists which sports they follow, and 39% said football, while 41% said none. Some of the other sports panelists follow are track, gymnastics, horse racing, and their grandkids’ sports activities.
We also wanted to know: what place would you recommend to visitors in your hometown or state? The most popular types of attractions panel members recommend in Illinois are restaurants, local markets, and culinary spots. Here are some of the answers we got from panel members:
– Navy Pier
– Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
– Museum of Science & Industry
– Architectural cruise in downtown Chicago
– Starved Rock State Park
Did you learn anything new about Illinois? How do your shopping habits compare to panel members in Illinois? We hope you enjoy learning about panel members in other states. Stay tuned for the next one: Indiana!
Join NCP!
If you’re not a NCP panel member and you’re interested in joining NCP to share your shopping experiences, earn great rewards, and influence what you see on store shelves, click here or go to the Join NCP section of the blog for more information.
Regards,
Taylor
Blog comment reminder: If you have a panel-related issue that you need assistance with such as a problem with scanning or your rewards, please contact our Panel Support Center directly and they will be happy to assist you! You can reach them at 1-800-962-6700 or email them at [email protected]. You can send a message from NCP’s Facebook page. Please don’t enter panel-related issues or share any personal panel membership information in the blog comment section. Any issues will be addressed faster if you contact our support center directly. Thank you so much!
Hi Elaine, we made an error on the question about whether panel members live in rural, suburban or urban areas, and that has been corrected. For many of the questions, we don’t share all the responses from every question, so it’s possible that the numbers we share don’t add up to 100%. If you have a question about a specific stat, please let us know!
Can you pls tell me how several of these blog questions have stats that total > 100%? Tx; I think it’s very interesting to learn about other participants! What a novel idea; tx so much, NCP!!!