Moving to Illinois
New residents have 90 days to get an Illinois driver license and must register a car within 30 days. Prices are about the same as the U.S. average, and a single filer earning $100,000 pays about $4,805 in Illinois income tax. 117,297 households moved here from other states in 2022–2023, most often from Indiana and Florida.
New resident checklist for Illinois
Driver license
New residents have 90 days to get an Illinois driver's license. With a valid license from another state you only need a vision test; apply in person at a DMV and bring proof of your signature, date of birth, Social Security number and Illinois address (two proofs of address for a REAL ID). Bring proof of identity, your Social Security number and two proofs of your Illinois address.
Vehicle title and registration
Apply for an Illinois title and registration within 30 days of establishing residence. Emissions testing applies in the Chicago and Metro-East areas. Switch your auto insurance to an Illinois policy.
Taxes or fees on a car you bring: No use tax if you are an individual who used the vehicle outside Illinois for more than 3 months before moving. You must still file Form RUT-25 within 30 days. Illinois title fee applies.
Annual registration: Flat $151 per year for standard passenger plates.
Extra yearly fee for an electric vehicle: $100.
Establishing residency
Residency is established by living in Illinois with intent to remain; new residents must surrender out-of-state licenses and prove Illinois address. Residency also decides where you pay income tax in the year you move; see taxes the year you move.
Your first-month checklist in Illinois
- Register to vote at your new address.
- Update your address with the IRS (Form 8822), your employer and your bank.
- Make sure your employer withholds Illinois income tax from your move date.
- Set up utilities and get renters or homeowners insurance. Owners with a mortgage here paid a median $1,387 a year for homeowners insurance in 2024 (Census ACS); premiums have risen in most states since, so get quotes.
- Keep your lease or closing papers and your license date as proof of when you became a resident.
Still planning the move itself? The moving out of state checklist covers the weeks before you go, and the moving timeline turns your move date into dated deadlines. Our guide to moving with pets covers vet records, travel and local pet rules. Shipping a car? See shipping a car to another state, or take the Where should I move? quiz.
Official site: ilsos.gov. Sources: ilsos.gov (2), ilsos.gov (3), ilsos.gov (4), tax.illinois.gov, ilsos.gov (5). Reviewed 2026-09-25. Rules and fees change; confirm with the Illinois motor vehicle agency before you go.
Compare your move to Illinois
Pick the state you're leaving and your salary to see your take-home pay, rent and the salary that keeps your buying power the same in Illinois.
Equal salary in IL: $76,300
To keep the same lifestyle, you need about $76,300 in Illinois to match $70,000 in Indiana ($6,300 more), 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 $70,000 | Indiana | Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $6,570 | $6,570 |
| Social Security + Medicare | $5,355 | $5,355 |
| State income tax | $3,174 | $3,320 |
| State payroll programs (UI, disability, paid leave, transit) | $0 | $0 |
| Take-home pay | $54,901 | $54,755 |
Full reports for the most common moves to Illinois: Indiana to Illinois, Florida to Illinois, California to Illinois, Texas to Illinois, Wisconsin to Illinois and Missouri to Illinois.
Living in Illinois: costs, taxes and risk
Of the 51 (the 50 states and D.C.), Illinois is in the best 10 for electric bills, and in the worst 10 for property tax rate.
- Median rent
- $1,322/mo U.S. $1,487
- Cost to own the median home
- $2,052/mo U.S. $2,298
- Take-home on $100,000
- $74,375 $704 less than in the median state
- Property tax (effective)
- 1.92% median $5,399/yr
- FEMA risk score
- 90.4 of 100 Among the highest of U.S. counties
- Moved in from other states
- 117,297 households, IRS 2022–2023
Pros and cons of living in Illinois
How Illinois ranks among all 51 (the 50 states and D.C.) on 11 measures of costs, taxes, risk and income. Top 10 means among the 10 best for someone moving in, Bottom 10 among the 10 worst.
Where Illinois ranks best
- Top 10 Lowest electric bills: $110 a month on average (EIA 2024), tied with 2 other states for 7th lowest.
Where Illinois ranks worst
- Bottom 5 Highest property tax rate: 1.92% of home value a year, the highest of 51.
Measures: state income tax, overall prices, rent, cost to own a home, property tax rate, homeowners insurance, electric bills, car insurance, health premiums, natural hazard risk, household income. State income tax is for a single filer earning $100,000 under 2026 rules, including the average county income tax in Indiana and Maryland. Ties share a rank.
Where new Illinois residents come from
In the latest IRS migration data (2022–2023), 117,297 households filed their taxes in Illinois after filing in another state the year before. Indiana sent the most, 10,141 households (9% of the total). Illinois lost a net 28,609 households to other states that year.
Five-year trend
Moves to Illinois from other states reached a five-year high in 2022–23: 117,297 households, up 20% from 2018–19. Illinois lost households to other states on net in all five years.
IRS SOI state-to-state migration files, tax years 2018–19 to 2022–23. Net gain or loss by year: 2018–19 −42,681, 2019–20 −50,769, 2020–21 −53,910, 2021–22 −45,460, 2022–23 −28,609.
Cost of living in Illinois vs the U.S.
Overall prices in Illinois are about the same as the U.S. average, 33rd cheapest of 51. The widest gap is in utilities (85.0), 15% below the U.S. level.
The vertical line marks the U.S. average (100). BEA Regional Price Parities 2024.
- Average electric bill
- $110/mo U.S. $142
- Car insurance, per car
- $1,153/yr U.S. $1,282
- Health plan, age 40
- $646/mo U.S. $625
EIA 2024 average residential bills, NAIC 2023 average auto insurance expenditure, KFF 2026 benchmark silver Marketplace premium before subsidies.
Taxes in Illinois: take-home pay at three incomes
Illinois taxes wages. Here is what a single filer keeps after 2026 federal and state taxes, compared with the middle of all 51.
| Salary | IL income tax | Take-home | vs. median state |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $2,330 | $40,025 | -$753 |
| $100,000 | $4,805 | $74,375 | -$704 |
| $150,000 | $7,280 | $106,511 | -$1,076 |
Single filer, 2026 tax rules, standard deduction. Take-home is after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Illinois income taxes. "vs. median state" is the difference from the median take-home of all 51 at the same salary. For married filing jointly, change the filing status in the calculator above.
The statewide sales tax rate is 6.25% before any local sales taxes. Homeowners pay a median $5,399 a year in property tax, 1.92% of the median home value (property tax by county). Retiring? See how Illinois taxes Social Security and pensions. Moving mid-year? Read about taxes the year you move.
Cities in Illinois: where a paycheck goes furthest
The Chicago metro area is the only one of the 149 U.S. metro areas we cover that is centered in Illinois. About $83,800 there buys what $75,000 buys in an average-priced area with no state income tax.
| Metro area | Salary to match $75k | Price level | Median rent | Median home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | $83,800 | 103.6 | $1,469 | $339,700 |
Salary to match $75k: the pay that leaves the same after-tax, price-adjusted income as $75,000 in an area at U.S. average prices with no state income tax, single filer, including the principal city's own income tax where it has one. BEA 2024 price levels (U.S. = 100) and Census ACS 2024 rent and home values for each metro area.
Parts of Illinois also belong to the St. Louis metro area, which is centered outside Illinois.
Housing and home insurance in Illinois
| Measure | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Median rent (monthly) | $1,322 | $1,487 |
| Median home value | $280,700 | $360,600 |
| Monthly cost to own the median home (20% down) | $2,052 | $2,298 |
| Income needed to buy the median home | $87,942 | $98,486 |
| Median property tax (yearly) | $5,399 | $3,211 |
| Homeowners insurance (yearly median, homes with a mortgage) | $1,387 | $1,450 |
Census ACS 2024 rent, home value and property tax, and ACS 2024 homeowners insurance. Cost to own: principal and interest at the Freddie Mac 30-year average (6.95%) with 20% down, plus the median property tax and the median homeowners insurance paid by owners with a mortgage. Premiums have risen since 2024, especially in high-risk areas, so get quotes. See buying a home in Illinois for other down payments.
Natural disaster risk in Illinois
Illinois's population-weighted score on FEMA's National Risk Index is 90.4 of 100, among the highest of U.S. counties and 38th safest of 51. Expected losses from natural hazards average about $501 per resident a year, and about 66% of residents live in counties FEMA rates relatively high or very high.
The vertical line marks the middle of U.S. counties (50).
See disaster risk for every Illinois county and how to check a home's risk before you move.
Frequently asked questions
Where do people moving to Illinois come from?
In IRS migration data for 2022–2023, 117,297 households moved to Illinois from other states. The most came from Indiana (10,141 households), Florida (9,299) and California (9,063).
What are the pros and cons of living in Illinois?
Where Illinois ranks best among the 50 states and D.C.: lowest electric bills, tied with 2 other states for 7th lowest. Where it ranks worst: highest property tax rate, the highest of 51.
Is Illinois expensive to live in?
Overall prices in Illinois are about the same as the U.S. average (BEA price level 100.0, 2024), 33rd cheapest of 51. Median rent is $1,322 a month and the median home is worth $280,700.
How long do I have to get an Illinois driver license after moving?
90 days after becoming a resident. New residents have 90 days to get an Illinois driver's license. With a valid license from another state you only need a vision test; apply in person at a DMV and bring proof of your signature, date of birth, Social Security number and Illinois address (two proofs of address for a REAL ID).
How long do I have to register my car in Illinois?
30 days. Apply for an Illinois title and registration within 30 days of establishing residence. Emissions testing applies in the Chicago and Metro-East areas.
Do new residents pay tax on a car brought to Illinois?
No use tax if you are an individual who used the vehicle outside Illinois for more than 3 months before moving. You must still file Form RUT-25 within 30 days. Illinois title fee applies.
What makes me an Illinois resident?
Residency is established by living in Illinois with intent to remain; new residents must surrender out-of-state licenses and prove Illinois address.