State comparison
Georgia vs Illinois: which state is better to live in?
Georgia costs a median household about $2,300 a year less in state and local taxes than Illinois, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $2,754 a year against $4,758 in Illinois.
Georgia
Moderate tax burden · COL index 91
Wins 5 categories
Illinois
High tax burden · COL index 92
Wins 9 categories
Taxes: Georgia vs Illinois
Georgia has a flat 5.49% income tax, which works out to 5.0% on a median income of $74,580, or $3,722 a year. 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. Illinois wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.81% of home value a year in Georgia and 1.73% in Illinois (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $2,754 against $4,758, so Georgia has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 7.35% in Georgia and 8.82% in Illinois; Georgia is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $8,120 a year in Georgia, $10,423 in Illinois. Georgia is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Georgia's cost of living index is 91 and Illinois's is 92, where 100 is the national average; Georgia is about 1% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $340K in Georgia and $275K in Illinois (Zillow, 2024), a $65K gap in Illinois's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,600 a month in Georgia and $1,400 in Illinois.
Home insurance averages $2,200 a year in Georgia and $1,900 in Illinois, so Illinois is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 499 incidents per 100,000 residents in Georgia and 413 in Illinois (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Illinois is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 21% lower. Property crime is 2,212 per 100,000 in Georgia against 1,666 in Illinois, again favoring Illinois.
Health
Life expectancy is 75.2 years in Georgia and 77.2 in Illinois (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 2.0-year edge for Illinois. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Georgia's health system 37th of 50 and Illinois's 20th, so Illinois scores better on care.
14.1% of Georgia residents have no health insurance against 7.4% in Illinois, which favors Illinois. Illinois expanded Medicaid and Georgia did not.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Georgia's K-12 schools 32nd in the country and Illinois's 16th, 16 places apart in Illinois's favor. Georgia runs a school-choice voucher program; Illinois does not.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Georgia was a swing state decided by 2 points and Illinois went to Harris by 14 points.
Georgia 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 Georgia is the friendlier state for gun owners.
Abortion is banned with narrow exceptions in Georgia and protected by state law in Illinois, and marijuana is medical only in Georgia and legal for adults in Illinois as of 2026. The minimum wage is $7.25 an hour in Georgia and $14.00 in Illinois.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is high in Georgia (hurricane, tornado, flood) and moderate in Illinois (tornado, flood, blizzard), so Illinois is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 36 in Georgia and 45 in Illinois (under 50 is good), favoring Georgia.
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
5
Georgia
9
Illinois
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Georgia or Illinois better to live in?
It depends on what you weigh most. Georgia on taxes ($8,120 a year for a median household against $10,423); Georgia on everyday costs (index 91 against 92); Illinois on safety (413 violent crimes per 100,000 against 499); Illinois on schools (ranked 16th against 32nd).
Which is cheaper, Georgia or Illinois?
Georgia is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 91 against 92. The median home is $340K in Georgia and $275K in Illinois (2024). On state and local taxes Georgia saves a median household about $2,300 a year.
Does Georgia or Illinois have lower taxes?
Georgia. A household earning $74,580 pays about $8,120 a year in Georgia ($3,722 income tax, $2,754 property tax on the median home and $1,644 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, Georgia or Illinois?
Illinois, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 499 per 100,000 residents in Georgia and 413 in Illinois; property crime is 2,212 against 1,666.
Which has better schools, Georgia or Illinois?
Illinois. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Georgia 32nd of 50 for K-12 and Illinois 16th. Georgia also offers school-choice vouchers.
Is Georgia or Illinois better for retirees?
Both treat retirement income about the same. Georgia does not tax Social Security, partly 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 $2,754 a year in Georgia and $4,758 in Illinois.