Moving from Illinois to District of Columbia: Cost & Tax Comparison
Compare state income tax savings, HUD rent differentials, and household purchasing power adjustments when relocating from Illinois to District of Columbia.
Data updated · Sources: HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology
What changes when you move from Illinois to District of Columbia
Illinois has a flat 4.95% income tax and District of Columbia has graduated income tax rates up to 10.75%. On a $100,000 salary a single filer pays $4,805 in state income tax in Illinois and $5,532 in state income tax in District of Columbia. With federal income tax and FICA unchanged, total tax rises by $726 a year after the move. HUD's one-bedroom Fair Market Rent averages $1,053 a month across Illinois's metro areas and $2,204 across District of Columbia's (+109.3%). Pay differs too: the BLS median wage across all occupations, weighted by employment in each state's metros, is $54,104 in Illinois and $71,060 in District of Columbia. City and county income taxes, which some localities add, are not included in these state-level figures; the metro routes below include them.
District of Columbia Paycheck & Living Costs
Metropolitan Corridors Between Illinois & District of Columbia
Moving from Illinois to District of Columbia on a $100,000 salary: pay $726 more in total taxes per year; average one-bedroom rent is $2,204 vs $1,053 a month.
Quick answers
For a single filer earning $100,000 with no local income tax, total federal, FICA and state taxes are $726 higher in District of Columbia than in Illinois (0.7 percentage points of gross pay). The average HUD one-bedroom Fair Market Rent across District of Columbia's metros is $2,204 a month, versus $1,053 in Illinois (+109.3%). Taxes and one-bedroom rent combined change by -$14,537 a year.
Illinois: Flat Tax, top rate 4.95%. District of Columbia: Graduated Brackets, top rate 10.75%. Federal income tax and FICA are the same in both states.