Moving from California to Illinois
Moving to Illinois on the same salary raises your real buying power by 13.1%. Change the salary below to see your own numbers.
Equal salary in IL: $86,900
To keep the same lifestyle, you need about $86,900 in Illinois to match $100,000 in California ($13,100 less), after 2026 taxes and local prices.
Single filer, W-2 salary, standard deduction.
These changes cover taxes, housing and electricity. Food, transport, healthcare, other spending and one-time moving costs are excluded. They are not total savings. State medians may differ from your neighborhood and current quotes.
| Tax on $100,000 | California | Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $13,170 | $13,170 |
| Social Security + Medicare | $7,650 | $7,650 |
| State income tax | $5,055 | $4,805 |
| State payroll programs (UI, disability, paid leave, transit) | $1,300 | $0 |
| Take-home pay | $72,825 | $74,375 |
Key facts: California to Illinois
- Median rent
- $2,104 → $1,322/mo
- Median home value
- $759,500 → $280,700
- Price level (U.S. = 100)
- 110.7 → 100.0
- Road distance
- ≈ 2,010 miles
- Natural hazard risk (FEMA)
- Among the highest (98.8 → 90.4 of 100)
What changes when you move to Illinois
- Your state taxes fall by about $1,550 a year on the same $100,000 salary.
- BEA's housing price index is 39% lower in Illinois. Median rent goes from $2,104 to $1,322 a month and the median home value from $759,500 to $280,700.
- The average home electric bill is $110 a month in Illinois vs $161 in California (EIA 2024), about $610 a year less.
- Prices for everyday goods are 2% lower (BEA). The statewide sales tax rate is 6.25% in Illinois vs 7.25% in California, before local sales taxes.
Who moves from California to Illinois
In the latest IRS migration data (2022–2023), 9,063 households (13,617 people) filed their taxes in Illinois after filing in California the year before. That makes Illinois the #12 destination for people leaving California. These households reported an average adjusted gross income of $104,270. Going the other way, 10,407 households moved from Illinois to California, a net loss of 1,344 households for Illinois.
Five-year trend
Moves from California to Illinois peaked in 2021–22 at 9,284 households, then held roughly steady by 2022–23. That is still up 11% from 2018–19.
Source: IRS SOI state-to-state migration files, tax years 2018–19 to 2022–23.
Cost to move from California to Illinois
Moving cost: $1,280–$16,500
Moving about 2,010 miles from California to Illinois costs roughly $1,280 – $16,500, depending on how much of the work you hire out.
Distance between the states' population centers by road (estimate).
| Moving method | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Rental truck (DIY) Truck rental, taxes and fees. Add fuel, damage coverage, lodging and your time. | $1,280 – $6,050 |
| Moving container You pack and load; the company drives the container. | $2,160 – $6,040 |
| Full-service movers Packing, loading, transport and unloading. | $3,430 – $16,500 |
These ranges are based on summer (peak-season) quotes. A move between October and April usually costs less: peak prices run 20–30% higher.
A rental truck also burns about 201 gallons of fuel over this distance. One-way truck rental prices depend on direction: a truck headed where many people are moving often costs more than the same trip in reverse.
Ranges combine 198 published quote ranges on 22 interstate routes (moveBuddha, retrieved 2026-09-24) with 47 independent published prices from U-Pack, HireAHelper and Move.org, which raised the top of several ranges. They are not quotes; get at least three written estimates.
Alaska and Hawaii ranges come from published carrier rates and moving quotes, dated in each row (Matson's household-goods rates, U-Pack, Royal Hawaiian Movers). See how we estimate.
Shipping a car from California to Illinois
Car shipping: $1,260–$1,830
Shipping a sedan from California to Illinois on an open carrier costs about $1,260–$1,830, typically 5–10 days in transit over about 2,010 miles.
Modeled from 32 published 2026 route prices (SGT Auto Transport 'Ship a Car to Another State' sample routes, SGT Auto Transport cost calculator sample routes) plus published Hawaii and Alaska rates. SUVs cost about 25% more and enclosed carriers about 35% more. Not a quote.
California vs Illinois take-home pay at every salary
| Salary | Equal salary in IL | Take-home change | Take-home in CA | Take-home in IL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $45,600 | -$641 | $40,665 | $40,025 |
| $75,000 | $66,200 | +$182 | $57,843 | $58,025 |
| $100,000 | $86,900 | +$1,550 | $72,825 | $74,375 |
| $150,000 | $127,500 | +$4,375 | $102,136 | $106,511 |
| $250,000 | $209,000 | +$10,025 | $160,927 | $170,952 |
Single filer, 2026 tax rules, standard deduction. "Equal salary" keeps the same after-tax buying power.
Cost of living: California vs Illinois
| Measure | California | Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (U.S. = 100) | 110.7 | 100.0 |
| Housing price index | 154.3 | 93.9 |
| Utilities price index | 158.9 | 85.0 |
| Goods price index | 106.1 | 103.8 |
| Median rent (monthly) | $2,104 | $1,322 |
| Median home value | $759,500 | $280,700 |
| Median property tax (yearly) | $5,369 | $5,399 |
| Electricity (residential) | 34.74¢/kWh | 19.89¢/kWh |
| State sales tax rate | 7.25% | 6.25% |
| Median household income | $100,149 | $83,211 |
Renting and buying: California vs Illinois
| Measure | California | Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| Income to rent the median home (30% rule) | $84,160 | $52,880 |
| Monthly cost to own the median home (20% down) | $4,592 | $2,052 |
| Income needed to buy the median home | $196,807 | $87,942 |
| Homeowners insurance (yearly median, homes with a mortgage) | $1,473 | $1,387 |
| Infant child care (center, yearly) | $22,628 | $19,807 |
Mortgage at the Freddie Mac 30-year average with 20% down, plus the median property tax and the median homeowners insurance that owners with a mortgage paid in 2024 (Census ACS). Premiums have risen in most states since then, so get quotes. See buying a home in Illinois for other down payments.
Your yearly budget: California vs Illinois
On a $100,000 salary, taxes, housing, electricity, one car and health insurance for one adult come to $65,395 a year in California and $54,051 in Illinois if you rent: $11,344 less after the move. If you buy the median home, they come to $95,253 and $62,811 ($32,442 less).
Your yearly budget, before vs after
| Yearly cost | CA | IL | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income and payroll taxes on $100,000, single filer | $27,175 | $25,625 | -$1,550 |
| Electricity state average bill | $1,930 | $1,320 | -$610 |
| Car insurance one car, state average | $1,225 | $1,153 | -$72 |
| Gas 12,000 miles at 25 mpg | $2,977 | $2,337 | -$640 |
| Health insurance one adult, age 40, own plan before subsidies | $6,840 | $7,752 | +$912 |
| If you rent | |||
| Rent median, 12 months | $25,248 | $15,864 | -$9,384 |
| Total if you rent | $65,395 | $54,051 | -$11,344 |
| If you buy the median home (20% down) | |||
| Mortgage payment median home, 20% down, 6.95% | $48,264 | $17,838 | -$30,426 |
| Property tax median home | $5,369 | $5,399 | +$30 |
| Homeowners insurance state median, with a mortgage | $1,473 | $1,387 | -$86 |
| Total if you buy | $95,253 | $62,811 | -$32,442 |
Taxes: 2026 federal and state rules, standard deduction. Rent, home value and property tax: Census ACS 2024 state medians. Mortgage: Freddie Mac 30-year average (6.95%, week of September 17, 2026).
State figures: EIA 2024 average residential power bill, NAIC 2023 auto insurance (average per car), Census ACS 2024 homeowners insurance (median for owners with a mortgage; premiums have risen since), AAA regular gas on September 23, 2026, and the KFF 2026 benchmark silver Marketplace premium. Job-based health coverage usually costs you less, and in 2026 incomes between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level can get a premium tax credit.
Not included: sales tax (combined state and local rates are not in our data yet), food, car payments and other spending.
Child care is not in the totals. Full-time center care for one infant averages $22,628 a year in California and $19,807 in Illinois (Child Care Aware of America, 2024 state averages).
Compare cities: California to Illinois
Cost of living in Illinois cities: Chicago.
After you arrive in Illinois
- Illinois new resident checklist: driver license and vehicle registration deadlines.
- Taxes the year you move: part-year returns in California and Illinois.
- How Illinois taxes retirement income.
Frequently asked questions
How much salary do I need in Illinois to live like I do in California?
A $100,000 salary in California works out to about $86,900 in Illinois once 2026 federal and state taxes and BEA regional price levels are counted.
Will I pay less tax in Illinois than in California?
Yes, about $1,550 less a year in income and payroll taxes on a $100,000 salary (27.2% of pay in California vs 25.6% in Illinois). Property and sales taxes are shown separately.
How much does it cost to move from California to Illinois?
For a 2–3 bedroom home over about 2,010 miles, expect roughly $1,280–$6,050 with a rental truck, $2,160–$6,040 with a moving container, or $3,430–$16,500 with full-service movers.
Are more people moving from California to Illinois?
Moves from California to Illinois peaked in 2021–22 at 9,284 households, then held roughly steady by 2022–23. That is still up 11% from 2018–19.
How many people move from California to Illinois?
IRS migration data for 2022–2023 show 9,063 households (13,617 people) moved from California to Illinois, making Illinois the #12 destination for people leaving California. 10,407 households moved the other way.
Is Illinois cheaper than California?
Overall prices in Illinois are 9.7% lower than California (BEA Regional Price Parities 2024). Median rent is $1,322 vs $2,104 a month.
Compare other moves
Where people from California actually move
- CA to Texas 44,417 households
- CA to Arizona 28,402 households
- CA to Nevada 26,210 households
- CA to Washington 24,625 households
- CA to New York 20,595 households
- CA to Florida 20,241 households
- CA to Oregon 16,765 households
- CA to Colorado 14,044 households