State comparison
Illinois vs Idaho: 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).
Illinois
High tax burden · COL index 92
Wins 7 categories
Idaho
Moderate tax burden · COL index 96
Wins 8 categories
Taxes: Illinois vs Idaho
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. 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 wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 1.73% of home value a year in Illinois and 0.48% in Idaho (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $4,758 against $2,040, so Idaho has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 8.82% in Illinois and 6.02% in Idaho; Idaho is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $10,423 a year in Illinois, $7,085 in Idaho. Idaho is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Illinois's cost of living index is 92 and Idaho's is 96, where 100 is the national average; Illinois is about 4% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $275K in Illinois and $425K in Idaho (Zillow, 2024), a $150K gap in Illinois's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,400 a month in Illinois and $1,500 in Idaho.
Home insurance averages $1,900 a year in Illinois and $800 in Idaho, so Idaho is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 413 incidents per 100,000 residents in Illinois and 228 in Idaho (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Idaho is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 81% lower. Property crime is 1,666 per 100,000 in Illinois against 1,535 in Idaho, again favoring Idaho.
Health
Life expectancy is 77.2 years in Illinois and 77.7 in Idaho (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 0.5-year edge for Idaho. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Illinois's health system 20th of 50 and Idaho's 32nd, so Illinois scores better on care.
7.4% of Illinois residents have no health insurance against 9.0% in Idaho, which favors Illinois. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Illinois's K-12 schools 16th in the country and Idaho's 30th, 14 places apart in Illinois's favor. Neither state runs a school-choice voucher program.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Illinois went to Harris by 14 points and Idaho went to Trump by 30 points.
Illinois has shall-issue carry permits and a Giffords gun-law grade of A; Idaho has permitless carry and a grade of F, so Illinois regulates guns more tightly and Idaho is the friendlier state for gun owners.
Abortion is protected by state law in Illinois and banned with narrow exceptions in Idaho, and marijuana is legal for adults in Illinois and illegal in Idaho as of 2026. The minimum wage is $14.00 an hour in Illinois and $7.25 in Idaho.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in Illinois (tornado, flood, blizzard) and moderate in Idaho (wildfire, earthquake). Annual average air quality index is 45 in Illinois and 48 in Idaho (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
7
Illinois
8
Idaho
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Illinois or Idaho 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, Illinois or Idaho?
Illinois is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 92 against 96. The median home is $275K in Illinois and $425K in Idaho (2024). On state and local taxes Idaho saves a median household about $3,300 a year.
Does Illinois or Idaho have lower taxes?
Idaho. A household earning $74,580 pays about $10,423 a year in Illinois ($3,692 income tax, $4,758 property tax on the median home and $1,973 in sales tax) and $7,085 in Idaho ($3,698 income tax, $2,040 property tax on the median home and $1,347 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Illinois or Idaho?
Idaho, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 413 per 100,000 residents in Illinois and 228 in Idaho; property crime is 1,666 against 1,535.
Which has better schools, Illinois or Idaho?
Illinois. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Illinois 16th of 50 for K-12 and Idaho 30th.
Is Illinois or Idaho better for retirees?
Both treat retirement income about the same. Illinois does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has an estate tax; Idaho does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax. Property tax on a median home is $4,758 a year in Illinois and $2,040 in Idaho.