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Illinois

D+14  ·  High tax burden  ·  COL index 92

C

4.95%

Income Tax

413

Violent Crime / 100K

77.2

Life Expectancy

$275K

Median Home

$1,650

Childcare / Mo

State Profile

62/100
255075100TAXES43SAFETY55HEALTH61SCHOOLS69AFFORDABLE83LONGEVITY60

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Taxes

Income Tax

4.95% flat

Property Tax

~$4,758/yr on median home

1.73% / yr

Sales Tax

8.82% avg

Social Security

Exempt

Pension / IRA

Fully Exempt

Estate Tax

Yes — $4M exemption

Inheritance Tax

None

Capital Gains

Taxed as income

Housing & Cost of Living

Cost of Living Index

National avg = 100

92

Median Home Price

$275,000

Median Rent (2BR)

$1,400/mo

Home Insurance

Near national avg (~$1,900/yr)

$1,900/yr

Flood Insurance

$650/yr

Homestead Exemption

Home equity protected from creditors

$15,000

Asset Protection

Weak

Crime & Safety

Violent Crime Rate

Near national avg

413 / 100K

Property Crime Rate

Near national avg

1,666 / 100K

Traffic Fatality Rate

9.6 / 100K

Healthcare

State Healthcare Rank

#20 of 50

Life Expectancy

77.2 yrs

Medicaid Expansion

Expanded

Uninsured Rate

7.4%

Education

K-12 Quality Rank

#16 of 50

School Choice / Vouchers

Not Available

Childcare

Avg Infant Care (Full-Time)

$1,650/mo

Utilities & Daily Costs

Avg Monthly Energy Bill

$145/mo

Avg Monthly Groceries

2-person household, moderate spending

$510/mo

Road Quality Rank

#40 of 50

Airports & Travel

Nonstop Destinations

From state's primary airport

200+ routes

Major Hub Airport

Top-25 US airport by passengers

Yes

Culture & Lifestyle

Urban Population

Highly urban — big city feel

88% urban

Restaurant Density

520/100K

Religious Congregations

180/100K

Pro Sports Teams

NFL + NBA + MLB + NHL + MLS

6 teams

Major Venues

Stadiums, arenas, amphitheaters (10K+ capacity)

10 venues

Craft Breweries

2.1/100K residents — Growing

270 breweries

Craft Distilleries

Strong spirits scene

55 distilleries

Live Music

Chicago blues and jazz capital; Lollapalooza, Pitchfork Music Festival; deep house origin

World-class

Transportation

Car Insurance (Avg Annual)

$1,650

Traffic Fatality Rate

9.6 / 100K

Broadband Access

88% of households

Social & Legal

Abortion Access

Legal to viability; strong state protections

Protected

LGBTQ+ Protections

Comprehensive

Marijuana

Recreational

Minimum Wage

$14/hr

Right to Work

No

Sports Betting

Legal

Casino Gambling

Commercial casinos

Online Gambling

Illegal

State Lottery

Chicago area has multiple commercial casinos. Sports betting legal since 2020. Rivers Casino in Des Plaines is busy.

Yes

Age of Consent

17

Sex Education

Sex ed required by state

Comprehensive

Medically Accurate Required

Yes

Nude Beaches & Naturist Clubs

Sun Meadow Country Club (Peoria) · Illinois Naturists (Chicago area)

Clubs only

Environment & Climate

Air Quality (Annual AQI)

Near national avg

45

Natural Disaster Risk

Moderate

Primary Hazards

tornadofloodblizzard

Politics & Gun Laws

2024 Presidential Vote

D+14

Gun Laws

Gun ControlA
2A LibertyF

Carry Permit

Shall-issue

Purchase Permit Required

Yes

Gambling

Legal

Jobs & Economy

Job Market

+0.7% job growth · 4.7% unemployment

Moderate

Top Industries

FinanceHealthcareManufacturing

Tech Jobs

Strong tech presence

#9 of 50

Healthcare Jobs

#10 of 50

Remote Work

23% of workers

Median Household Income

$78,433

Business Climate

Corporate Income Tax

High corporate rate — plan entity structure carefully

9.5%

LLC Formation Fee

$150 one-time

LLC Annual Fee

$75/yr

Business Climate Rank

Bottom-10 nationally

#46 of 50

9.5% total (7% + 2.5% personal property replacement tax)

Daily Life

Gas Price (Regular)

Above avg (+0.18 vs national avg)

$3.48/gal

Consumer Fireworks

Sparklers (under 36") and novelties only; Chicago bans all

Restricted

Weather & Natural Risks

Winter Severity

Avg January high: 31°F

Cold

Summer Heat

Moderate summers

84°F avg July

Annual Rainfall

39" / yr

Tornado Risk

Moderate

Hurricane Risk

Very Low

Wildfire Risk

Very Low

Flood Risk

Moderate

Natural Hazards

33MODERATE danger
Brown recluse zoneNew Madrid seismic zone (earthquake risk)Tornado alley

Venomous Snakes

Moderate

Spider Hazard

Brown Recluse Zone

Hurricane Risk

Minimal

Tornado Risk

High

Wildfire Risk

Low

Earthquake Risk

Moderate

Danger score is a composite index. Methodology ↗

Veteran Benefits

Veteran-Friendly Score

5.8% of state population are veterans

68/100

Property Tax Exemption

100% disabled: full property tax exempt

Full (disabled)

Military Retirement Pay

Taxed

Active Duty Pay

Tax Exempt

VA Facilities Access

Good

Notable Benefits

Active duty pay exempt

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Trending in Illinois

Pritzker for president? Handicapping the Illinois governor’s political future - IPM Newsroom

IPM Newsroom · Jul 22

The State of Illinois Newsroom - The State of Illinois Newsroom

The State of Illinois Newsroom · Jul 22

Illinois leaders urge governor to opt into federal scholarship tax credit program before 2027 launch - Capitol City Now

Capitol City Now · Jul 22

The Digital Chamber Sues Illinois to Halt Digital Asset Tax - PYMNTS.com

PYMNTS.com · Jul 22

President Trump's budget proposal could threaten airline service at several Illinois airports - ABC7 Chicago

ABC7 Chicago · Jul 16

Stay Current

Get notified when Illinois tax laws, gun laws, or social policy changes.

Data is informational only. Verify with a tax professional, real estate agent, and local sources before making relocation decisions. Crime data: FBI UCR ~2022. Healthcare: Commonwealth Fund / US News ~2023. Education: Education Week ~2023. Housing: Zillow / Census ACS ~2024. Insurance: rate surveys ~2024. Sponsored links marked “Sponsored” may earn a commission. This does not affect our data or rankings.

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Annual Income

$150K

Affects effective income tax rate

$0$500K$5M+

Retirement Savings

$0

Affects pension and SS tax burden

None$500K$10M+

Social Security

None

Annual Social Security benefit

None$150K/yr

My Property Is Worth

$400K

Affects property tax burden

Tax burden ↓$1M$50M+

Home Buying Budget

$400K

Compared to state median home price

Hard to find$250K$5M+

Monthly Rent Budget

Don't care

Compared to state median 2BR rent

Don't care$10K/mo

Job Market

Don't care

State unemployment and job growth

Don't careHot market

Airport Access

Don't care

Direct flight destinations from state hubs

Don't careMust have hub

City vs Country

Mid-size city

% urban population

Deep countryBig city

Sunshine

Don't care

Annual sunny days per state

Don't careMax sunshine

Food Scene

Don't care

Restaurants per 100K residents

Don't careWorld-class

Political Preference

Neutral

State's political lean

LiberalConservative

Gun Laws

Neutral

State gun law grade (Giffords)

Gun Control2A Freedom

Abortion Access

Neutral

State abortion access policy

Pro-ChoiceNeutralPro-Life

Community

None

Congregations per 100K residents

AvoidDon't careSeek

Sports & Entertainment

Don't care

Pro sports teams and major venues

Don't careMust have pro teams

Cannabis Laws

Neutral

State cannabis legality

Prefer LegalNeutralPrefer Prohibition

Retiree Community

Neutral

% population 65+ (Census)

Young areaRetirement-heavy

Dating Market

Neutral

% adults never-married (Census)

Singles sceneFamily community

Safety / Low Crime

Don't care

Violent crime rate per 100K (FBI)

Don't careVery safe

School Quality

Don't care

K-12 rank (Education Week)

Don't careTop-ranked

Healthcare Access

Don't care

Healthcare system rank (Commonwealth Fund)

Don't careTop-ranked

Childcare Affordability

Don't care

Cost of living proxy for childcare affordability

Don't careMust be affordable