Interstate Relocation: Illinois → Colorado

Moving from Illinois to Colorado: Cost & Tax Comparison

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

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

Effective Tax Rate Change -1.1 pts CO vs IL, $100k single
Annual Tax Savings +$1,114 Federal + FICA + state, $100k
1BR Rent Change +32.8% Avg 1BR $1,399 vs $1,053/mo
Net Annual Difference -$3,036 Tax savings + 1BR rent savings

What changes when you move from Illinois to Colorado

Illinois has a flat 4.95% income tax and Colorado has a flat 4.4% income tax. On a $100,000 salary a single filer pays $4,805 in state income tax in Illinois and $3,692 in state income tax in Colorado. With federal income tax and FICA unchanged, total tax falls by $1,114 a year after the move. HUD's one-bedroom Fair Market Rent averages $1,053 a month across Illinois's metro areas and $1,399 across Colorado's (+32.8%). Pay differs too: the BLS median wage across all occupations, weighted by employment in each state's metros, is $54,104 in Illinois and $60,171 in Colorado. 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

Destination State: Colorado

Colorado Paycheck & Living Costs

Metropolitan Corridors Between Illinois & Colorado

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN → Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO On $100k: $1,045 less tax and $612 more 1BR rent a year
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Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN → Colorado Springs, CO On $100k: $1,114 less tax and $4,800 less 1BR rent a year
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Peoria, IL → Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO On $100k: $1,045 less tax and $10,440 more 1BR rent a year
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Peoria, IL → Colorado Springs, CO On $100k: $1,114 less tax and $5,028 more 1BR rent a year
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Moving from Illinois to Colorado: Cost & Tax Comparison Overview

Moving from Illinois to Colorado on a $100,000 salary: pay $1,114 less in total taxes per year; average one-bedroom rent is $1,399 vs $1,053 a month (HUD FMR).

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

For a single filer earning $100,000 with no local income tax, total federal, FICA and state taxes are $1,114 lower in Colorado than in Illinois (1.1 percentage points of gross pay). The average HUD one-bedroom Fair Market Rent across Colorado's metros is $1,399 a month, versus $1,053 in Illinois (+32.8%). Taxes and one-bedroom rent combined change by -$3,036 a year.

What are the key tax differences between Illinois and Colorado?

Illinois: Flat Tax, top rate 4.95%. Colorado: Flat Tax, top rate 4.4%. Federal income tax and FICA are the same in both states.