State comparison
Florida vs Illinois: which state is better to live in?
Florida costs a median household about $5,700 a year less in state and local taxes than Illinois, mostly because it has no income tax, though everyday prices run higher there (cost of living index 103 against 92).
Florida
Low tax burden · COL index 103
Wins 8 categories
Illinois
High tax burden · COL index 92
Wins 8 categories
Taxes: Florida vs Illinois
Florida has no state income tax. Illinois has a flat 4.95% income tax, which works out to 5.0% on a median income of $74,580, or $3,692 a year. Florida wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.77% of home value a year in Florida and 1.73% in Illinois (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $3,196 against $4,758, so Florida has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 7.02% in Florida and 8.82% in Illinois; Florida is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $4,766 a year in Florida, $10,423 in Illinois. Florida is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Florida's cost of living index is 103 and Illinois's is 92, where 100 is the national average; Illinois is about 12% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $415K in Florida and $275K in Illinois (Zillow, 2024), a $140K gap in Illinois's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,900 a month in Florida and $1,400 in Illinois.
Home insurance averages $3,500 a year in Florida and $1,900 in Illinois, so Illinois is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 387 incidents per 100,000 residents in Florida and 413 in Illinois (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Florida is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 7% lower. Property crime is 1,882 per 100,000 in Florida against 1,666 in Illinois, again favoring Illinois.
Health
Life expectancy is 77.3 years in Florida and 77.2 in Illinois (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 0.1-year edge for Florida. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Florida's health system 40th of 50 and Illinois's 20th, so Illinois scores better on care.
13.2% of Florida residents have no health insurance against 7.4% in Illinois, which favors Illinois. Illinois expanded Medicaid and Florida did not.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Florida's K-12 schools 19th in the country and Illinois's 16th, 3 places apart in Illinois's favor. Florida runs a school-choice voucher program; Illinois does not.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Florida went to Trump by 13 points and Illinois went to Harris by 14 points.
Florida has permitless carry and a Giffords gun-law grade of F; Illinois has shall-issue carry permits and a grade of A, so Illinois regulates guns more tightly and Florida is the friendlier state for gun owners.
Abortion is banned with narrow exceptions in Florida and protected by state law in Illinois, and marijuana is medical only in Florida and legal for adults in Illinois as of 2026. The minimum wage is $13.00 an hour in Florida and $14.00 in Illinois.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is very high in Florida (hurricane, flood, tornado) and moderate in Illinois (tornado, flood, blizzard), so Illinois is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 28 in Florida and 45 in Illinois (under 50 is good), favoring Florida.
Tax figures use a household earning the national median income and owning each state's median home, at tax year 2026 rates, last checked against state sources on 2026-09-14. The table below has every number.
Taxes
Housing & Cost of Living
Crime & Safety
Healthcare
Education
Childcare
Utilities & Daily Costs
Social Policy
Category wins
8
Florida
8
Illinois
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Florida or Illinois better to live in?
It depends on what you weigh most. Florida on taxes ($4,766 a year for a median household against $10,423); Illinois on everyday costs (index 92 against 103); Florida on safety (387 violent crimes per 100,000 against 413); Illinois on schools (ranked 16th against 19th).
Which is cheaper, Florida or Illinois?
Illinois is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 92 against 103. The median home is $415K in Florida and $275K in Illinois (2024). On state and local taxes Florida saves a median household about $5,700 a year.
Does Florida or Illinois have lower taxes?
Florida. A household earning $74,580 pays about $4,766 a year in Florida ($0 income tax, $3,196 property tax on the median home and $1,571 in sales tax) and $10,423 in Illinois ($3,692 income tax, $4,758 property tax on the median home and $1,973 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Florida or Illinois?
Florida, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 387 per 100,000 residents in Florida and 413 in Illinois; property crime is 1,882 against 1,666.
Which has better schools, Florida or Illinois?
Illinois. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Florida 19th of 50 for K-12 and Illinois 16th. Florida also offers school-choice vouchers.
Is Florida or Illinois better for retirees?
Florida is friendlier to retirees on paper. Florida does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax; Illinois does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has an estate tax. Property tax on a median home is $3,196 a year in Florida and $4,758 in Illinois.