Springfield vs Decatur leftover
Moving to Decatur costs you $139 a month
$2,773/mo leftover in Decatur vs $2,912 in Springfield after tax and rent ($139 less). −$1,668 a year for the same registered nurse, the same household size, and the same number of bedrooms. Not a cost-of-living index.
Springfield leftover
$2,912
a month after tax and rent
Decatur leftover
$2,773
−$139 vs Springfield
Compare Springfield to another metro
Same paycheck. Try a different city next to Springfield.
Monthly gap
Springfield → Decatur
$139
less / month in Springfield
$2,773 in Decatur · $2,912 in Springfield · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
Home
Only when you tap. We match the nearest metro and don't keep the coordinates.
Destination
In 2022-2023, 119 households moved Springfield → Decatur (avg AGI $45,521). 130 went the other way. The whole move →
−$139 / mo
| Per month | Springfield | Decatur | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,667 | $7,198 | −$468 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,942 | $1,780 | −$162 |
| Take-home pay | $5,724 | $5,418 | −$306 |
| Rent | $904 | $699 | −$205 |
| Getting around | $539 | $577 | +$38 |
| Groceries | $378 | $378 | $0 |
| Healthcare | $425 | $425 | $0 |
| Utilities | $236 | $236 | $0 |
| Everything else | $330 | $330 | $0 |
| Left over | $2,912 | $2,773 | −$139 |
To break even in Decatur, you'd need to earn
$89,000
Household gross, versus $92,000 today. That's the salary that leaves you exactly as much at the end of the month as Springfield does now.
The tax difference alone
+$278
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 25.3% in Springfield, 24.7% in Decatur.
More about Decatur
Springfield, IL in full
A flat 4.95% state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,076 and 204 sunny days; commutes average 20 minutes.
Decatur, IL in full
A flat 4.95% state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $832 and 203 sunny days; commutes average 19 minutes.
The reverse move
Same two cities, but starting from Decatur on Decatur wages.
Decatur → Springfield →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Decatur than Springfield?
A one-bedroom is about $904 in Springfield versus $699 in Decatur. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $139 a month lower in Decatur. Change the job or household on the comparison to see your number.
Does Decatur have state income tax?
Decatur is in Illinois, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Springfield to Decatur?
Take-home pay is recalculated under Illinois tax, rent is priced at the same bedroom count, and leftover is the gap. The from-to page also lists IRS households that already made the move, when that data exists.
Leftover is take-home after federal, state and city wage tax, minus asking rent at the bedroom count you set, minus a modelled month of groceries, utilities, healthcare, transport and childcare. It is not a cost-of-living index and not a moving quote. The dollar gap between Springfield and Decatur moves when you change the job, remote versus local pay, or bedrooms. How the math works · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Rent is Zillow's asking rent for each metro; taxes and living costs are modelled. An estimate, not a quote or tax advice. How this is calculated.