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Interstate Relocation: Illinois → West Virginia

Moving from Illinois to West Virginia: Cost & Tax Comparison

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

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

Effective Tax Rate Change -0.9 pts WV vs IL, $100k single
Annual Tax Savings +$920 Federal + FICA + state, $100k
1BR Rent Change -20.6% Avg 1BR $836 vs $1,053/mo
Net Annual Difference +$3,525 Tax savings + 1BR rent savings

What changes when you move from Illinois to West Virginia

Illinois has a flat 4.95% income tax and West Virginia has graduated income tax rates up to 4.82%. On a $100,000 salary a single filer pays $4,805 in state income tax in Illinois and $3,885 in state income tax in West Virginia. With federal income tax and FICA unchanged, total tax falls by $920 a year after the move. HUD's one-bedroom Fair Market Rent averages $1,053 a month across Illinois's metro areas and $836 across West Virginia's (-20.6%). Pay differs too: the BLS median wage across all occupations, weighted by employment in each state's metros, is $54,104 in Illinois and $44,856 in West Virginia. 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: West Virginia

West Virginia Paycheck & Living Costs

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

Metropolitan Corridors Between Illinois & West Virginia

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN → Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH On $100k: $660 less tax and $10,992 less 1BR rent a year
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Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN → Charleston, WV On $100k: $764 less tax and $11,232 less 1BR rent a year
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Peoria, IL → Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH On $100k: $660 less tax and $1,164 less 1BR rent a year
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Peoria, IL → Charleston, WV On $100k: $764 less tax and $1,404 less 1BR rent a year
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Moving from Illinois to West Virginia: Cost & Tax Comparison Overview

Moving from Illinois to West Virginia on a $100,000 salary: pay $920 less in total taxes per year; average one-bedroom rent is $836 vs $1,053 a month (HUD FMR).

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

For a single filer earning $100,000 with no local income tax, total federal, FICA and state taxes are $920 lower in West Virginia than in Illinois (0.9 percentage points of gross pay). The average HUD one-bedroom Fair Market Rent across West Virginia's metros is $836 a month, versus $1,053 in Illinois (-20.6%). Taxes and one-bedroom rent combined change by +$3,525 a year.

What are the key tax differences between Illinois and West Virginia?

Illinois: Flat Tax, top rate 4.95%. West Virginia: Graduated Brackets, top rate 4.82%. Federal income tax and FICA are the same in both states.