2026
Moving from Illinois?
Where you keep the most after tax and rent. The comparison starts in Chicago, IL, the largest metro in Illinois on this site. One adult, one bedroom, $80,000 held the same in every city. State income tax there is $3,823 a year, and $1,417 a month is left after tax and rent.
No state income tax
The strongest leftover metro in each state that does not tax wages. The tax change is versus Illinois on $80,000.
- Anchorage, AK
$1,705/mo left · state tax −$3,823/yr
- Sebring, FL
$2,422/mo left · state tax −$3,823/yr
- Carson City, NV
$2,130/mo left · state tax −$3,823/yr
- Manchester, NH
$1,539/mo left · state tax −$3,823/yr
- Sioux Falls, SD
$2,549/mo left · state tax −$3,823/yr
- Morristown, TN
$2,592/mo left · state tax −$3,823/yr
- Lubbock, TX
$2,695/mo left · state tax −$3,823/yr
- Spokane, WA
$2,287/mo left · state tax −$3,823/yr
- Cheyenne, WY
$2,358/mo left · state tax −$3,823/yr
Where people from Illinois moved
IRS migration, 2022-2023. Outflows from metros in Illinois to metros in other states, summed. The move link starts in the city that sent the most returns on that route.
| Destination | Returns | People | State tax change | Left over |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York, NYfrom Chicago | 4,699 | 5,746 | −$28/yr | -$349/mo |
| Phoenix, AZfrom Chicago | 4,082 | 6,468 | −$2,188/yr | $1,954/mo |
| Dallas, TXfrom Chicago | 3,675 | 6,659 | −$3,823/yr | $2,130/mo |
| Los Angeles, CAfrom Chicago | 3,367 | 4,522 | −$356/yr | $428/mo |
| Milwaukee, WIfrom Chicago | 2,433 | 3,424 | −$681/yr | $1,971/mo |
| Indianapolis, INfrom Chicago | 2,356 | 3,744 | −$1,453/yr | $1,989/mo |
| Miami, FLfrom Chicago | 2,294 | 3,549 | −$3,823/yr | $1,107/mo |
| Houston, TXfrom Chicago | 2,270 | 4,108 | −$3,823/yr | $2,251/mo |
| Denver, COfrom Chicago | 2,160 | 2,817 | −$945/yr | $1,587/mo |
| Tampa, FLfrom Chicago | 2,032 | 3,278 | −$3,823/yr | $1,841/mo |
Where the paycheck goes furthest
Top 25 metros outside Illinois by monthly leftover on $80,000. Versus Chicago.
| Rank | Metro | Left over | Vs Chicago | State tax change | Paid to move |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ames, IA | $2,706/mo | +$1,289/mo | −$1,338/yr | — |
| 2 | Fargo, ND | $2,705/mo | +$1,288/mo | −$3,493/yr | — |
| 3 | Lubbock, TX | $2,695/mo | +$1,278/mo | −$3,823/yr | — |
| 4 | Wichita Falls, TX | $2,685/mo | +$1,268/mo | −$3,823/yr | — |
| 5 | McAllen, TX | $2,679/mo | +$1,262/mo | −$3,823/yr | — |
| 6 | Longview, TX | $2,672/mo | +$1,255/mo | −$3,823/yr | — |
| 7 | Amarillo, TX | $2,652/mo | +$1,235/mo | −$3,823/yr | — |
| 8 | Grand Forks, ND | $2,646/mo | +$1,229/mo | −$3,493/yr | — |
| 9 | Davenport, IA | $2,636/mo | +$1,219/mo | −$1,338/yr | — |
| 10 | Texarkana, TX | $2,635/mo | +$1,218/mo | −$3,823/yr | — |
| 11 | Waterloo, IA | $2,625/mo | +$1,208/mo | −$1,338/yr | — |
| 12 | Dubuque, IA | $2,621/mo | +$1,204/mo | −$1,338/yr | — |
| 13 | Cape Girardeau, MO | $2,618/mo | +$1,201/mo | −$990/yr | — |
| 14 | Jefferson City, MO | $2,610/mo | +$1,193/mo | −$990/yr | — |
| 15 | Killeen, TX | $2,606/mo | +$1,189/mo | −$3,823/yr | — |
| 16 | Laredo, TX | $2,603/mo | +$1,186/mo | −$3,823/yr | — |
| 17 | Iowa City, IA | $2,601/mo | +$1,184/mo | −$1,338/yr | — |
| 18 | Morristown, TN | $2,592/mo | +$1,175/mo | −$3,823/yr | — |
| 19 | Sherman, TX | $2,589/mo | +$1,172/mo | −$3,823/yr | — |
| 20 | St. Joseph, MO | $2,584/mo | +$1,167/mo | −$990/yr | — |
| 21 | Eagle Pass, TX | $2,576/mo | +$1,159/mo | −$3,823/yr | — |
| 22 | Alexandria, LA | $2,573/mo | +$1,156/mo | −$1,798/yr | — |
| 23 | El Paso, TX | $2,564/mo | +$1,147/mo | −$3,823/yr | — |
| 24 | Beaumont, TX | $2,555/mo | +$1,138/mo | −$3,823/yr | — |
| 25 | Sioux Falls, SD | $2,549/mo | +$1,132/mo | −$3,823/yr | — |
Staying in Illinois
State income tax does not change. Rent still does. Compared with Chicago.
- Decatur · $2,425/mo · +$1,008 vs Chicago
- Champaign · $2,345/mo · +$928 vs Chicago
- Bloomington · $2,314/mo · +$897 vs Chicago
- Springfield · $2,258/mo · +$841 vs Chicago
- Peoria · $2,229/mo · +$812 vs Chicago
Moving from another state
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Questions
Where do people from Illinois move?
Among metros on this site, the largest IRS flow out of Illinois in 2022-2023 is to New York, NY: 4,699 tax returns, about 5,746 people. The link uses the Chicago corridor, which sent the most of those returns.
How does state income tax change when you leave Illinois?
On $80,000 for a single filer, Illinois state income tax is $3,823 a year. The change column is the destination's state income tax minus that figure. A negative number is a smaller state tax bill. Local wage taxes are not in that column. They are in the leftover figure.
Where does a paycheck from Illinois go furthest?
At $80,000 held flat, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $2,706 a month in Ames, IA, +$1,289 versus Chicago.