Interstate Relocation: Illinois → Tennessee

Moving from Illinois to Tennessee: Cost & Tax Comparison

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

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

Effective Tax Rate Change -4.8 pts TN vs IL, $100k single
Annual Tax Savings +$4,805 Federal + FICA + state, $100k
1BR Rent Change -7.2% Avg 1BR $977 vs $1,053/mo
Net Annual Difference +$5,721 Tax savings + 1BR rent savings

What changes when you move from Illinois to Tennessee

Illinois has a flat 4.95% income tax and Tennessee has no state income tax on wages. On a $100,000 salary a single filer pays $4,805 in state income tax in Illinois and $0 in state income tax in Tennessee. With federal income tax and FICA unchanged, total tax falls by $4,805 a year after the move. HUD's one-bedroom Fair Market Rent averages $1,053 a month across Illinois's metro areas and $977 across Tennessee's (-7.2%). Pay differs too: the BLS median wage across all occupations, weighted by employment in each state's metros, is $54,104 in Illinois and $47,793 in Tennessee. 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: Tennessee

Tennessee Paycheck & Living Costs

Metropolitan Corridors Between Illinois & Tennessee

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN → Memphis, TN-MS-AR On $100k: $4,805 less tax and $7,068 less 1BR rent a year
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Peoria, IL → Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN On $100k: $4,805 less tax and $8,268 more 1BR rent a year
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Peoria, IL → Memphis, TN-MS-AR On $100k: $4,805 less tax and $2,760 more 1BR rent a year
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Moving from Illinois to Tennessee: Cost & Tax Comparison Overview

Moving from Illinois to Tennessee on a $100,000 salary: pay $4,805 less in total taxes per year; average one-bedroom rent is $977 vs $1,053 a month (HUD FMR).

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

For a single filer earning $100,000 with no local income tax, total federal, FICA and state taxes are $4,805 lower in Tennessee than in Illinois (4.8 percentage points of gross pay). The average HUD one-bedroom Fair Market Rent across Tennessee's metros is $977 a month, versus $1,053 in Illinois (-7.2%). Taxes and one-bedroom rent combined change by +$5,721 a year.

What are the key tax differences between Illinois and Tennessee?

Illinois: Flat Tax, top rate 4.95%. Tennessee: No State Income Tax, top rate 0%. Federal income tax and FICA are the same in both states.