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Illinois

High tax burden · COL index 92

Wins 7 categories

VS

Arizona

Moderate tax burden · COL index 102

Wins 4 categories

Illinois's top income tax rate is 4.95% vs Arizona's 2.5%. Cost of living in Arizona (index 102) runs 11% higher than Illinois (index 92). Property taxes are meaningfully different: Illinois averages 1.73% annually vs Arizona's 0.51%. The median home in Arizona costs $420K vs $275K in Illinois.

Illinois
Arizona

Taxes

4.95%
Income Tax (top rate)
2.5%
1.73%/yr
Property Tax Rate
0.51%/yr
8.82%
Sales Tax (avg)
8.37%
Yes
Social Security Tax
Yes
No
Estate Tax
Yes
As income
Capital Gains Tax
As income

Housing & Cost of Living

92
COL Index (100=avg)
102
$275K
Median Home Price
$420K
$1,400/mo
Median Rent (2BR/mo)
$1,600/mo
$2K/yr
Home Insurance (avg/yr)
$2K/yr

Crime & Safety

413
Violent Crime / 100K
474
1,666
Property Crime / 100K
2,624

Healthcare

#20 of 50
Healthcare Quality Rank
#34 of 50
77.2 yrs
Life Expectancy
76.3 yrs
7.4%
Uninsured Rate
10.8%
Yes
Medicaid Expansion
Yes

Education

#16 of 50
K-12 Quality Rank
#45 of 50
No
School Choice / Vouchers
Yes

Childcare

$1,650/mo
Avg Infant Care / mo
$1,150/mo

Utilities & Daily Costs

$145/mo
Avg Energy Bill / mo
$145/mo
$510/mo
Avg Groceries / mo
$490/mo
#40 of 50
Road Quality Rank
#28 of 50

Social Policy

A
Gun Laws Grade
F
D+14.0
2024 Presidential Margin
R+5.0

Category wins

7

Illinois

4

Arizona

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People Also Ask

Is it cheaper to live in AZ or Illinois?

What is the best state to move to from Illinois?

What are the drawbacks to living in Arizona?

Is $50,000 a year good in Arizona?

A salary in the range of $50,000 to $75,000 is generally considered comfortable for a single person in Arizona.

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Annual Income

$150K

Affects effective income tax rate

$0$500K$5M+

Retirement Savings

$0

Affects pension and SS tax burden

None$500K$10M+

Social Security

None

Annual Social Security benefit

None$150K/yr

My Property Is Worth

$400K

Affects property tax burden

Tax burden ↓$1M$50M+

Home Buying Budget

$400K

Compared to state median home price

Hard to find$250K$5M+

Monthly Rent Budget

Don't care

Compared to state median 2BR rent

Don't care$10K/mo

Job Market

Don't care

State unemployment and job growth

Don't careHot market

Airport Access

Don't care

Direct flight destinations from state hubs

Don't careMust have hub

City vs Country

Mid-size city

% urban population

Deep countryBig city

Sunshine

Don't care

Annual sunny days per state

Don't careMax sunshine

Food Scene

Don't care

Restaurants per 100K residents

Don't careWorld-class

Political Preference

Neutral

State's political lean

LiberalConservative

Gun Laws

Neutral

State gun law grade (Giffords)

Gun Control2A Freedom

Abortion Access

Neutral

State abortion access policy

Pro-ChoiceNeutralPro-Life

Community

None

Congregations per 100K residents

AvoidDon't careSeek

Sports & Entertainment

Don't care

Pro sports teams and major venues

Don't careMust have pro teams

Cannabis Laws

Neutral

State cannabis legality

Prefer LegalNeutralPrefer Prohibition

Retiree Community

Neutral

% population 65+ (Census)

Young areaRetirement-heavy

Dating Market

Neutral

% adults never-married (Census)

Singles sceneFamily community

Safety / Low Crime

Don't care

Violent crime rate per 100K (FBI)

Don't careVery safe

School Quality

Don't care

K-12 rank (Education Week)

Don't careTop-ranked

Healthcare Access

Don't care

Healthcare system rank (Commonwealth Fund)

Don't careTop-ranked