Moving from Washington to Springfield
You'd keep $31 more a month in Springfield
+$372 a year for the same registered nurse, the same household size, and the same number of bedrooms.
Washington leftover
$2,883
a month after tax and rent
Springfield leftover
$2,914
+$31 vs Washington
| Per month | Washington | Springfield | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $9,667 | $7,655 | −$2,011 |
| Income and payroll tax | $2,752 | $1,938 | −$814 |
| Take-home pay | $6,914 | $5,717 | −$1,197 |
| Rent | $1,929 | $895 | −$1,034 |
| Getting around | $463 | $539 | +$76 |
| Groceries | $452 | $378 | −$74 |
| Healthcare | $508 | $425 | −$83 |
| Utilities | $283 | $236 | −$47 |
| Everything else | $395 | $330 | −$65 |
| Left over | $2,883 | $2,914 | +$31 |
To break even in Springfield, you'd need to earn
$91,500
Household gross, versus $116,000 today. That's the salary that leaves you exactly as much at the end of the month as Washington does now.
The tax difference alone
+$2,609
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 28.5% in Washington, 25.3% in Springfield.
More about Springfield
Washington, DC in full
Recession-resistant government and consulting pay, humid summers, real transit.
Springfield, IL in full
A flat 4.95% state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,065 and 204 sunny days; commutes average 20 minutes.
The reverse move
Same two cities, but starting from Springfield on Springfield wages.
Springfield → Washington →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Springfield than Washington?
A one-bedroom is about $1,929 in Washington versus $895 in Springfield. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $31 a month higher in Springfield. Change the job or household on the comparison to see your number.
Does Springfield have state income tax?
Springfield is in Illinois, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Washington to Springfield?
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.
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.