Illinois
High tax burden · COL index 92
Wins 3 categories
Ohio
Moderate tax burden · COL index 88
Wins 12 categories
Illinois's top income tax rate is 4.95% vs Ohio's 3.5%. Property taxes are meaningfully different: Illinois averages 1.73% annually vs Ohio's 1.37%. Politically, Ohio voted Republican in 2024 (R+12.0) while Illinois went Democratic (D+14.0).
Taxes
Housing & Cost of Living
Crime & Safety
Healthcare
Education
Childcare
Utilities & Daily Costs
Social Policy
Category wins
3
Illinois
12
Ohio
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Is it cheaper to live in Ohio or Illinois?
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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.
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