State comparison
Idaho vs Illinois: which state is better to live in?
Idaho costs a median household about $3,300 a year less in state and local taxes than Illinois, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $2,040 a year against $4,758 in Illinois, though everyday prices run higher there (cost of living index 96 against 92).
Idaho
Moderate tax burden · COL index 96
Wins 8 categories
Illinois
High tax burden · COL index 92
Wins 7 categories
Taxes: Idaho vs Illinois
Idaho has a flat 5.8% income tax, which works out to 5.0% on a median income of $74,580, or $3,698 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 0.48% of home value a year in Idaho and 1.73% in Illinois (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $2,040 against $4,758, so Idaho has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 6.02% in Idaho and 8.82% in Illinois; Idaho is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $7,085 a year in Idaho, $10,423 in Illinois. Idaho is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Idaho's cost of living index is 96 and Illinois's is 92, where 100 is the national average; Illinois is about 4% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $425K in Idaho and $275K in Illinois (Zillow, 2024), a $150K gap in Illinois's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,500 a month in Idaho and $1,400 in Illinois.
Home insurance averages $800 a year in Idaho and $1,900 in Illinois, so Idaho is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 228 incidents per 100,000 residents in Idaho and 413 in Illinois (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Idaho is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 81% lower. Property crime is 1,535 per 100,000 in Idaho against 1,666 in Illinois, again favoring Idaho.
Health
Life expectancy is 77.7 years in Idaho and 77.2 in Illinois (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 0.5-year edge for Idaho. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Idaho's health system 32nd of 50 and Illinois's 20th, so Illinois scores better on care.
9.0% of Idaho residents have no health insurance against 7.4% in Illinois, which favors Illinois. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Idaho's K-12 schools 30th in the country and Illinois's 16th, 14 places apart in Illinois's favor. Neither state runs a school-choice voucher program.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Idaho went to Trump by 30 points and Illinois went to Harris by 14 points.
Idaho 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 Idaho is the friendlier state for gun owners.
Abortion is banned with narrow exceptions in Idaho and protected by state law in Illinois, and marijuana is illegal in Idaho and legal for adults in Illinois as of 2026. The minimum wage is $7.25 an hour in Idaho and $14.00 in Illinois.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in Idaho (wildfire, earthquake) and moderate in Illinois (tornado, flood, blizzard). Annual average air quality index is 48 in Idaho and 45 in Illinois (under 50 is good), favoring Illinois.
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
Idaho
7
Illinois
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Idaho or Illinois better to live in?
It depends on what you weigh most. Idaho on taxes ($7,085 a year for a median household against $10,423); Illinois on everyday costs (index 92 against 96); Idaho on safety (228 violent crimes per 100,000 against 413); Illinois on schools (ranked 16th against 30th).
Which is cheaper, Idaho or Illinois?
Illinois is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 92 against 96. The median home is $425K in Idaho and $275K in Illinois (2024). On state and local taxes Idaho saves a median household about $3,300 a year.
Does Idaho or Illinois have lower taxes?
Idaho. A household earning $74,580 pays about $7,085 a year in Idaho ($3,698 income tax, $2,040 property tax on the median home and $1,347 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, Idaho or Illinois?
Idaho, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 228 per 100,000 residents in Idaho and 413 in Illinois; property crime is 1,535 against 1,666.
Which has better schools, Idaho or Illinois?
Illinois. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Idaho 30th of 50 for K-12 and Illinois 16th.
Is Idaho or Illinois better for retirees?
Both treat retirement income about the same. Idaho 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 $2,040 a year in Idaho and $4,758 in Illinois.