Illinois
High tax burden · COL index 92
Wins 7 categories
North Carolina
Moderate tax burden · COL index 94
Wins 7 categories
Property taxes are meaningfully different: Illinois averages 1.73% annually vs North Carolina's 0.7%. Politically, North Carolina voted Republican in 2024 (R+3.0) while Illinois went Democratic (D+14.0).
Taxes
Housing & Cost of Living
Crime & Safety
Healthcare
Education
Childcare
Utilities & Daily Costs
Social Policy
Category wins
7
Illinois
7
North Carolina
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Is it cheaper to live in North Carolina or Illinois?
Overall cost of living in Chicago, IL is 24.2% higher than in Raleigh, NC. The average listing price for a home in Chicago, IL is $621,136, which is 36.8% higher than Raleigh, NC. The average cost of groceries in Chicago, IL is 3.0% higher than Raleigh, NC.
Why are people moving out of the state of Illinois?
What is the downfall of living in North Carolina?
Is Illinois one of the best states to live in?
Illinois was ranked near the top for both quality of life and safety. However, the state's economy was nearly the worst in the country. The analysis also included rankings for individual categories like homeownership rates and housing costs.