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Interstate Relocation: Illinois → Wisconsin

Moving from Illinois to Wisconsin: Cost & Tax Comparison

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

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

Effective Tax Rate Change -0.4 pts WI vs IL, $100k single
Annual Tax Savings +$378 Federal + FICA + state, $100k
1BR Rent Change -6.8% Avg 1BR $981 vs $1,053/mo
Net Annual Difference +$1,243 Tax savings + 1BR rent savings

What changes when you move from Illinois to Wisconsin

Illinois has a flat 4.95% income tax and Wisconsin has graduated income tax rates up to 7.65%. On a $100,000 salary a single filer pays $4,805 in state income tax in Illinois and $4,428 in state income tax in Wisconsin. With federal income tax and FICA unchanged, total tax falls by $378 a year after the move. HUD's one-bedroom Fair Market Rent averages $1,053 a month across Illinois's metro areas and $981 across Wisconsin's (-6.8%). Pay differs too: the BLS median wage across all occupations, weighted by employment in each state's metros, is $54,104 in Illinois and $51,836 in Wisconsin. 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: Wisconsin

Wisconsin Paycheck & Living Costs

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

Metropolitan Corridors Between Illinois & Wisconsin

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN → Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI On $100k: $378 less tax and $8,640 less 1BR rent a year
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Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN → Madison, WI On $100k: $378 less tax and $4,860 less 1BR rent a year
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Peoria, IL → Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI On $100k: $378 less tax and $1,188 more 1BR rent a year
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Peoria, IL → Madison, WI On $100k: $378 less tax and $4,968 more 1BR rent a year
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Moving from Illinois to Wisconsin: Cost & Tax Comparison Overview

Moving from Illinois to Wisconsin on a $100,000 salary: pay $378 less in total taxes per year; average one-bedroom rent is $981 vs $1,053 a month (HUD FMR).

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

For a single filer earning $100,000 with no local income tax, total federal, FICA and state taxes are $378 lower in Wisconsin than in Illinois (0.4 percentage points of gross pay). The average HUD one-bedroom Fair Market Rent across Wisconsin's metros is $981 a month, versus $1,053 in Illinois (-6.8%). Taxes and one-bedroom rent combined change by +$1,243 a year.

What are the key tax differences between Illinois and Wisconsin?

Illinois: Flat Tax, top rate 4.95%. Wisconsin: Graduated Brackets, top rate 7.65%. Federal income tax and FICA are the same in both states.