Moving to Illinois: City Guides, Checklist & Tips
Updated July 2026
Illinois charges a flat 4.95% state income tax no matter which city you call home — the same rate whether you land in Chicago or a Big Ten college town — and the state's cost of living overall runs close to or below the national average, at odds with Chicago's reputation for expense. Champaign-Urbana, home to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and roughly 133,500 residents, carries a cost of living index of 81.1 — nearly 19% below the national average — with a $199,000 median home price and an 18-minute average commute. Chicago, the state's largest city and the nation's third-largest at about 2.7 million residents, runs a cost of living index closer to 116-118 (15-18% above the national average), a premium bought with deep job markets in finance, tech, and logistics. This hub collects our city-by-city relocation guides for Illinois, plus the practical steps to become a resident.
Illinois City Guides
Champaign-Urbana
A Big Ten college town with a cost of living nearly 19% below the national average, anchored by the University of Illinois.
Read the Champaign-Urbana guide →Chicago
Illinois's largest city and the nation's third — deep job markets in finance, tech, and logistics, at a real cost premium over the rest of the state.
Guide coming soon
Illinois Living and Vacationing Quick Reference
Living here
- State income tax
- A flat 4.95% no matter which Illinois city you live in
- Sales tax
- 6.25% statewide, reaching 10.50% combined in Chicago as of July 2026 once city, county, and regional taxes are added
- Median home price
- About $294,000 statewide as of 2026 — around $199,000 in Champaign
- Cost of living
- About 6% below the national average statewide; Champaign-Urbana runs nearly 19% below, Chicago about 15-18% above
- Driver's license deadline
- 90 days after establishing residency — new residents may drive on an out-of-state license until then
- Population
- About 12.7 million as of 2025, the 6th most populous state
Visiting first
- Main airport
- O'Hare International (ORD) in Chicago, among the world's busiest airports by traffic
- Signature outdoors
- No national park, but Starved Rock State Park delivers sandstone canyons and seasonal waterfalls within about 90 minutes of Champaign or Chicago
- Best scouting months
- May or September and October — outside the heaviest summer humidity and the coldest winter stretch
- "It's all Chicago," honestly
- Chicago holds under a quarter of the state's population — downstate cities like Champaign-Urbana run a cost of living nearly 19% below the national average, a different Illinois entirely
- The Navy's only boot camp
- Every enlisted U.S. sailor starts their career at Naval Station Great Lakes, north of Chicago — the sole Navy recruit training site since 1994
- Getting around
- Chicago runs the CTA and Metra; downstate, Amtrak's Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg trains connect Champaign to Chicago in about 2.5 hours
How Illinois Got Its Name
Illinois takes its name from the Illiniwek, or Illini, a confederation of a dozen or so Algonquian-speaking peoples who lived across the Mississippi River Valley; French explorers rendered their word for "the (ordinary) people" as Illinois. The state carries a distinctive military footprint quieter than a battlefield: Naval Station Great Lakes, north of Chicago, has been the U.S. Navy's only boot camp since 1994, when the Navy consolidated its recruit training there and closed the training centers at Orlando and San Diego. Roughly 40,000 recruits pass through Great Lakes every year — meaning every enlisted sailor in the United States Navy starts their career on Illinois soil.
How to Become a Illinois Resident
Establishing residency unlocks a Illinois driver's license, vehicle registration, in-state tuition, and resident access to state parks and programs. You establish residency in Illinois by doing any one of the following — you don't need all of them:
- Renting or buying a house or apartment in Illinois
- Being employed within Illinois
- Being registered to vote in Illinois
- Having a business located in Illinois
- Having children who attend an Illinois primary or secondary school
Illinois Moving Checklist
- Transfer your driver's license and register your vehicle — deadline in the quick reference above
- Register to vote at your new address
- Get a new car insurance policy that meets Illinois requirements
- Transfer medical and dental records and find new providers
- Enroll your child in your new school district
- Set up utilities and file your change of address with USPS
- Review the tax picture: Illinois has a flat 4.95% state income tax, but property taxes rank among the highest in the country
Questions Movers Ask About Illinois
Does Illinois have an income tax?
Yes — a flat 4.95% on all taxable income, the same rate whether you live in Chicago or a small downstate town, since the state constitution requires a flat rate. Illinois does not tax retirement income, including Social Security, pensions, and 401(k) or IRA distributions.
How expensive is it to live in Illinois?
It varies sharply by region. Statewide, Illinois runs close to or slightly below the national average. Chicago carries a real premium — a cost of living index around 15 to 18% above average — while Champaign-Urbana, home to the University of Illinois, runs nearly 19% below the national average with a $199,000 median home price.
How long do I have to get an Illinois driver's license after moving?
90 days. Illinois lets new residents drive on a valid out-of-state license for up to 90 days after establishing residency, after which the Secretary of State requires an Illinois license.
Is Illinois really just Chicago?
No — Chicago holds well under a quarter of the state's roughly 12.7 million residents. Downstate Illinois, including college towns like Champaign-Urbana, has a different economic and cost-of-living profile entirely, often running well below the national average where Chicago runs above it.
When should I visit Illinois before deciding to move?
May, or September and October, show the state at its best — mild temperatures before the humid Midwest summer or after it breaks. Central Illinois summers regularly top 90°F, and winters bring real cold and wind across flat, open terrain, so a visit in both seasons gives the fullest picture.
Which Illinois city should I move to?
It depends on what you're optimizing for. Chicago offers the state's deepest job market — finance, tech, logistics — at a real cost premium and big-city amenities. Champaign-Urbana delivers a Big Ten university town, a cost of living nearly 19% below the national average, and a short commute, trading away big-city scale.
Moving to Illinois from Another State?
We compare the two states side by side — taxes, housing, and what changes on day one:
Sources and Data Notes
Residency options, license and vehicle-registration deadlines, and tax rates on this page reflect requirements published by the Illinois Secretary of State and the Illinois Department of Revenue. Cost, housing, and job-market figures draw on the public datasets used across ScoutLocale's city guides, including the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, BestPlaces.net, and Niche.com.
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