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Interstate Relocation: Illinois → Alabama

Moving from Illinois to Alabama: Cost & Tax Comparison

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

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

Effective Tax Rate Change -0.7 pts AL vs IL, $100k single
Annual Tax Savings +$704 Federal + FICA + state, $100k
1BR Rent Change -12.6% Avg 1BR $920 vs $1,053/mo
Net Annual Difference +$2,296 Tax savings + 1BR rent savings

What changes when you move from Illinois to Alabama

Illinois has a flat 4.95% income tax and Alabama has graduated income tax rates up to 5%. On a $100,000 salary a single filer pays $4,805 in state income tax in Illinois and $4,102 in state income tax in Alabama. With federal income tax and FICA unchanged, total tax falls by $704 a year after the move. HUD's one-bedroom Fair Market Rent averages $1,053 a month across Illinois's metro areas and $920 across Alabama's (-12.6%). Pay differs too: the BLS median wage across all occupations, weighted by employment in each state's metros, is $54,104 in Illinois and $45,967 in Alabama. 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: Illinois

Illinois Paycheck & Living Costs

Paycheck Living Cost Salaries
Destination State: Alabama

Alabama Paycheck & Living Costs

Paycheck Living Cost Salaries
Reverse Corridor Analysis:
Moving from Alabama to IllinoisNational Relocation Hub

Metropolitan Corridors Between Illinois & Alabama

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

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

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

For a single filer earning $100,000 with no local income tax, total federal, FICA and state taxes are $704 lower in Alabama than in Illinois (0.7 percentage points of gross pay). The average HUD one-bedroom Fair Market Rent across Alabama's metros is $920 a month, versus $1,053 in Illinois (-12.6%). Taxes and one-bedroom rent combined change by +$2,296 a year.

What are the key tax differences between Illinois and Alabama?

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