State comparison
New York vs Illinois: which state is better to live in?
Illinois costs a median household about $1,900 a year less in state and local taxes than New York, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $4,758 a year against $6,580 in New York.
New York
High tax burden · COL index 139
Wins 8 categories
Illinois
High tax burden · COL index 92
Wins 6 categories
Taxes: New York vs Illinois
New York has a graduated income tax topping out at 10.9%, which works out to 5.2% on a median income of $74,580, or $3,862 a year. 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. Illinois wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 1.40% of home value a year in New York and 1.73% in Illinois (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $6,580 against $4,758, so New York has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 8.52% in New York and 8.82% in Illinois; New York is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $12,349 a year in New York, $10,423 in Illinois. Illinois is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
New York's cost of living index is 139 and Illinois's is 92, where 100 is the national average; Illinois is about 51% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $470K in New York and $275K in Illinois (Zillow, 2024), a $195K gap in Illinois's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $2,200 a month in New York and $1,400 in Illinois.
Home insurance averages $1,800 a year in New York and $1,900 in Illinois, so New York is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 379 incidents per 100,000 residents in New York and 413 in Illinois (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); New York is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 9% lower. Property crime is 1,480 per 100,000 in New York against 1,666 in Illinois, again favoring New York.
Health
Life expectancy is 79.3 years in New York and 77.2 in Illinois (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 2.1-year edge for New York. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks New York's health system 15th of 50 and Illinois's 20th, so New York scores better on care.
5.4% of New York residents have no health insurance against 7.4% in Illinois, which favors New York. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks New York's K-12 schools 12th in the country and Illinois's 16th, 4 places apart in New York's favor. Neither state runs a school-choice voucher program.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election New York went to Harris by 12 points and Illinois went to Harris by 14 points.
New York has may-issue carry permits and a Giffords gun-law grade of A; Illinois 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 $16.00 an hour in New York and $14.00 in Illinois.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in New York (hurricane, blizzard, nor-easter) and moderate in Illinois (tornado, flood, blizzard). Annual average air quality index is 38 in New York and 45 in Illinois (under 50 is good), favoring New York.
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
8
New York
6
Illinois
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is New York or Illinois better to live in?
It depends on what you weigh most. Illinois on taxes ($10,423 a year for a median household against $12,349); Illinois on everyday costs (index 92 against 139); New York on safety (379 violent crimes per 100,000 against 413); New York on schools (ranked 12th against 16th).
Which is cheaper, New York or Illinois?
Illinois is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 92 against 139. The median home is $470K in New York and $275K in Illinois (2024). On state and local taxes Illinois saves a median household about $1,900 a year.
Does New York or Illinois have lower taxes?
Illinois. A household earning $74,580 pays about $12,349 a year in New York ($3,862 income tax, $6,580 property tax on the median home and $1,906 in sales tax) and $10,423 in Illinois ($3,692 income tax, $4,758 property tax on the median home and $1,973 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, New York or Illinois?
New York, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 379 per 100,000 residents in New York and 413 in Illinois; property crime is 1,480 against 1,666.
Which has better schools, New York or Illinois?
New York. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks New York 12th of 50 for K-12 and Illinois 16th.
Is New York or Illinois better for retirees?
Both treat retirement income about the same. New York does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has an estate tax; Illinois does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has an estate tax. Property tax on a median home is $6,580 a year in New York and $4,758 in Illinois.