Interstate Relocation: Illinois → New Jersey

Moving from Illinois to New Jersey: Cost & Tax Comparison

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

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

Effective Tax Rate Change -0.6 pts NJ vs IL, $100k single
Annual Tax Savings +$625 Federal + FICA + state, $100k
1BR Rent Change +72.8% Avg 1BR $1,820 vs $1,053/mo
Net Annual Difference -$8,575 Tax savings + 1BR rent savings

What changes when you move from Illinois to New Jersey

Illinois has a flat 4.95% income tax and New Jersey 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 $4,180 in state income tax in New Jersey. With federal income tax and FICA unchanged, total tax falls by $625 a year after the move. HUD's one-bedroom Fair Market Rent averages $1,053 a month across Illinois's metro areas and $1,820 across New Jersey's (+72.8%). Pay differs too: the BLS median wage across all occupations, weighted by employment in each state's metros, is $54,104 in Illinois and $55,749 in New Jersey. 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: New Jersey

New Jersey Paycheck & Living Costs

Metropolitan Corridors Between Illinois & New Jersey

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN → Trenton-Princeton, NJ On $100k: $625 less tax and $192 less 1BR rent a year
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Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN → Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ On $100k: $625 less tax and $2,556 less 1BR rent a year
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Peoria, IL → Trenton-Princeton, NJ On $100k: $625 less tax and $9,636 more 1BR rent a year
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Peoria, IL → Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ On $100k: $625 less tax and $7,272 more 1BR rent a year
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Moving from Illinois to New Jersey: Cost & Tax Comparison Overview

Moving from Illinois to New Jersey on a $100,000 salary: pay $625 less in total taxes per year; average one-bedroom rent is $1,820 vs $1,053 a month (HUD FMR).

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

For a single filer earning $100,000 with no local income tax, total federal, FICA and state taxes are $625 lower in New Jersey than in Illinois (0.6 percentage points of gross pay). The average HUD one-bedroom Fair Market Rent across New Jersey's metros is $1,820 a month, versus $1,053 in Illinois (+72.8%). Taxes and one-bedroom rent combined change by -$8,575 a year.

What are the key tax differences between Illinois and New Jersey?

Illinois: Flat Tax, top rate 4.95%. New Jersey: Graduated Brackets, top rate 10.75%. Federal income tax and FICA are the same in both states.