Interstate Relocation: Alabama → Illinois

Moving from Alabama to Illinois: Cost & Tax Comparison

Compare state income tax savings, HUD rent differentials, and household purchasing power adjustments when relocating from Alabama to Illinois.

Data updated · Sources: HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology

Effective Tax Rate Change +0.7 pts IL vs AL, $100k single
Annual Tax Savings -$704 Federal + FICA + state, $100k
1BR Rent Change +14.4% Avg 1BR $1,053 vs $920/mo
Net Annual Difference -$2,296 Tax savings + 1BR rent savings

What changes when you move from Alabama to Illinois

Alabama has graduated income tax rates up to 5% and Illinois has a flat 4.95% income tax. On a $100,000 salary a single filer pays $4,102 in state income tax in Alabama and $4,805 in state income tax in Illinois. With federal income tax and FICA unchanged, total tax rises by $704 a year after the move. HUD's one-bedroom Fair Market Rent averages $920 a month across Alabama's metro areas and $1,053 across Illinois's (+14.4%). Pay differs too: the BLS median wage across all occupations, weighted by employment in each state's metros, is $45,967 in Alabama and $54,104 in Illinois. City and county income taxes, which some localities add, are not included in these state-level figures; the metro routes below include them.

Origin State: Alabama

Alabama Paycheck & Living Costs

Destination State: Illinois

Illinois Paycheck & Living Costs

Metropolitan Corridors Between Alabama & Illinois

Birmingham, AL → Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN On $100k: $296 less tax and $6,204 more 1BR rent a year
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Birmingham, AL → Peoria, IL On $100k: $296 less tax and $3,624 less 1BR rent a year
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Huntsville, AL → Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN On $100k: $704 more tax and $7,236 more 1BR rent a year
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Huntsville, AL → Peoria, IL On $100k: $704 more tax and $2,592 less 1BR rent a year
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Moving from Alabama to Illinois: Cost & Tax Comparison Overview

Moving from Alabama to Illinois on a $100,000 salary: pay $704 more in total taxes per year; average one-bedroom rent is $1,053 vs $920 a month (HUD FMR).

Quick answers
How much money will I save moving from Alabama to Illinois?

For a single filer earning $100,000 with no local income tax, total federal, FICA and state taxes are $704 higher in Illinois than in Alabama (0.7 percentage points of gross pay). The average HUD one-bedroom Fair Market Rent across Illinois's metros is $1,053 a month, versus $920 in Alabama (+14.4%). Taxes and one-bedroom rent combined change by -$2,296 a year.

What are the key tax differences between Alabama and Illinois?

Alabama: Graduated Brackets, top rate 5%. Illinois: Flat Tax, top rate 4.95%. Federal income tax and FICA are the same in both states.