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Interstate Relocation: Illinois → South Carolina

Moving from Illinois to South Carolina: Cost & Tax Comparison

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

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

Effective Tax Rate Change -0.6 pts SC vs IL, $100k single
Annual Tax Savings +$561 Federal + FICA + state, $100k
1BR Rent Change +9.7% Avg 1BR $1,155 vs $1,053/mo
Net Annual Difference -$661 Tax savings + 1BR rent savings

What changes when you move from Illinois to South Carolina

Illinois has a flat 4.95% income tax and South Carolina has graduated income tax rates up to 5.21%. On a $100,000 salary a single filer pays $4,805 in state income tax in Illinois and $4,244 in state income tax in South Carolina. With federal income tax and FICA unchanged, total tax falls by $561 a year after the move. HUD's one-bedroom Fair Market Rent averages $1,053 a month across Illinois's metro areas and $1,155 across South Carolina's (+9.7%). Pay differs too: the BLS median wage across all occupations, weighted by employment in each state's metros, is $54,104 in Illinois and $46,144 in South Carolina. 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: South Carolina

South Carolina Paycheck & Living Costs

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

Metropolitan Corridors Between Illinois & South Carolina

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN → Charleston-North Charleston, SC On $100k: $561 less tax and $588 less 1BR rent a year
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Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN → Columbia, SC On $100k: $561 less tax and $7,848 less 1BR rent a year
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Peoria, IL → Charleston-North Charleston, SC On $100k: $561 less tax and $9,240 more 1BR rent a year
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Peoria, IL → Columbia, SC On $100k: $561 less tax and $1,980 more 1BR rent a year
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Moving from Illinois to South Carolina: Cost & Tax Comparison Overview

Moving from Illinois to South Carolina on a $100,000 salary: pay $561 less in total taxes per year; average one-bedroom rent is $1,155 vs $1,053 a month (HUD.

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

For a single filer earning $100,000 with no local income tax, total federal, FICA and state taxes are $561 lower in South Carolina than in Illinois (0.6 percentage points of gross pay). The average HUD one-bedroom Fair Market Rent across South Carolina's metros is $1,155 a month, versus $1,053 in Illinois (+9.7%). Taxes and one-bedroom rent combined change by -$661 a year.

What are the key tax differences between Illinois and South Carolina?

Illinois: Flat Tax, top rate 4.95%. South Carolina: Graduated Brackets, top rate 5.21%. Federal income tax and FICA are the same in both states.