State comparison
Illinois vs Washington: which state is better to live in?
Washington costs a median household about $3,500 a year less in state and local taxes than Illinois, mostly because it has no income tax, though everyday prices run higher there (cost of living index 117 against 92).
Illinois
High tax burden · COL index 92
Wins 5 categories
Washington
Moderate tax burden · COL index 117
Wins 10 categories
Taxes: Illinois vs Washington
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. Washington has no state income tax. Washington wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 1.73% of home value a year in Illinois and 0.84% in Washington (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $4,758 against $4,788, so Washington has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 8.82% in Illinois and 9.38% in Washington; Illinois 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, $6,887 in Washington. Washington is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Illinois's cost of living index is 92 and Washington's is 117, where 100 is the national average; Illinois is about 27% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $275K in Illinois and $570K in Washington (Zillow, 2024), a $295K gap in Illinois's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,400 a month in Illinois and $2,000 in Washington.
Home insurance averages $1,900 a year in Illinois and $900 in Washington, so Washington is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 413 incidents per 100,000 residents in Illinois and 347 in Washington (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Washington is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 19% lower. Property crime is 1,666 per 100,000 in Illinois against 3,187 in Washington, again favoring Illinois.
Health
Life expectancy is 77.2 years in Illinois and 79.3 in Washington (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 2.1-year edge for Washington. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Illinois's health system 20th of 50 and Washington's 10th, so Washington scores better on care.
7.4% of Illinois residents have no health insurance against 6.5% in Washington, which favors Washington. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Illinois's K-12 schools 16th in the country and Washington's 7th, 9 places apart in Washington'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 Washington went to Harris by 16 points.
Illinois has shall-issue carry permits and a Giffords gun-law grade of A; Washington has shall-issue carry permits and a grade of A.
Abortion is protected by state law in both states, and marijuana is legal for adults in both as of 2026. The minimum wage is $14.00 an hour in Illinois and $16.28 in Washington.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in Illinois (tornado, flood, blizzard) and high in Washington (wildfire, earthquake, flood), so Illinois is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 45 in Illinois and 40 in Washington (under 50 is good), favoring Washington.
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
5
Illinois
10
Washington
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Illinois or Washington better to live in?
Washington wins more of the measures that decide a move. Washington on taxes ($6,887 a year for a median household against $10,423); Illinois on everyday costs (index 92 against 117); Washington on safety (347 violent crimes per 100,000 against 413); Washington on schools (ranked 7th against 16th).
Which is cheaper, Illinois or Washington?
Illinois is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 92 against 117. The median home is $275K in Illinois and $570K in Washington (2024). On state and local taxes Washington saves a median household about $3,500 a year.
Does Illinois or Washington have lower taxes?
Washington. 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 $6,887 in Washington ($0 income tax, $4,788 property tax on the median home and $2,099 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Illinois or Washington?
Washington, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 413 per 100,000 residents in Illinois and 347 in Washington; property crime is 1,666 against 3,187.
Which has better schools, Illinois or Washington?
Washington. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Illinois 16th of 50 for K-12 and Washington 7th.
Is Illinois or Washington better for retirees?
Both treat retirement income about the same. Illinois does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has an estate tax; Washington does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has an estate tax. Property tax on a median home is $4,758 a year in Illinois and $4,788 in Washington.