Industries Metros Compare Paycheck Cost of Living Relocation Offer Compare
Interstate Relocation: Illinois → Montana

Moving from Illinois to Montana: Cost & Tax Comparison

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

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

Effective Tax Rate Change -0.5 pts MT vs IL, $100k single
Annual Tax Savings +$516 Federal + FICA + state, $100k
1BR Rent Change +17.5% Avg 1BR $1,237 vs $1,053/mo
Net Annual Difference -$1,694 Tax savings + 1BR rent savings

What changes when you move from Illinois to Montana

Illinois has a flat 4.95% income tax and Montana has graduated income tax rates up to 5.65%. On a $100,000 salary a single filer pays $4,805 in state income tax in Illinois and $4,289 in state income tax in Montana. With federal income tax and FICA unchanged, total tax falls by $516 a year after the move. HUD's one-bedroom Fair Market Rent averages $1,053 a month across Illinois's metro areas and $1,237 across Montana's (+17.5%). Pay differs too: the BLS median wage across all occupations, weighted by employment in each state's metros, is $54,104 in Illinois and $50,674 in Montana. 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: Montana

Montana Paycheck & Living Costs

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

Metropolitan Corridors Between Illinois & Montana

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN → Billings, MT On $100k: $516 less tax and $7,776 less 1BR rent a year
Compare
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN → Bozeman, MT On $100k: $516 less tax and $2,016 less 1BR rent a year
Compare
Peoria, IL → Billings, MT On $100k: $516 less tax and $2,052 more 1BR rent a year
Compare
Peoria, IL → Bozeman, MT On $100k: $516 less tax and $7,812 more 1BR rent a year
Compare
Moving from Illinois to Montana: Cost & Tax Comparison Overview

Moving from Illinois to Montana on a $100,000 salary: pay $516 less in total taxes per year; average one-bedroom rent is $1,237 vs $1,053 a month (HUD FMR).

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

For a single filer earning $100,000 with no local income tax, total federal, FICA and state taxes are $516 lower in Montana than in Illinois (0.5 percentage points of gross pay). The average HUD one-bedroom Fair Market Rent across Montana's metros is $1,237 a month, versus $1,053 in Illinois (+17.5%). Taxes and one-bedroom rent combined change by -$1,694 a year.

What are the key tax differences between Illinois and Montana?

Illinois: Flat Tax, top rate 4.95%. Montana: Graduated Brackets, top rate 5.65%. Federal income tax and FICA are the same in both states.