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Interstate Relocation: Kentucky → Illinois

Moving from Kentucky to Illinois: Cost & Tax Comparison

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

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

Effective Tax Rate Change +1.4 pts IL vs KY, $100k single
Annual Tax Savings -$1,423 Federal + FICA + state, $100k
1BR Rent Change +19.2% Avg 1BR $1,053 vs $884/mo
Net Annual Difference -$3,457 Tax savings + 1BR rent savings

What changes when you move from Kentucky to Illinois

Kentucky has a flat 3.5% income tax and Illinois has a flat 4.95% income tax. On a $100,000 salary a single filer pays $3,382 in state income tax in Kentucky and $4,805 in state income tax in Illinois. With federal income tax and FICA unchanged, total tax rises by $1,423 a year after the move. HUD's one-bedroom Fair Market Rent averages $884 a month across Kentucky's metro areas and $1,053 across Illinois's (+19.2%). Pay differs too: the BLS median wage across all occupations, weighted by employment in each state's metros, is $47,891 in Kentucky and $54,104 in Illinois. 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: Kentucky

Kentucky Paycheck & Living Costs

Paycheck Living Cost Salaries
Destination State: Illinois

Illinois Paycheck & Living Costs

Paycheck Living Cost Salaries
Reverse Corridor Analysis:
Moving from Illinois to KentuckyNational Relocation Hub

Metropolitan Corridors Between Kentucky & Illinois

Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN → Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN On $100k: $777 less tax and $8,664 more 1BR rent a year
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Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN → Peoria, IL On $100k: $777 less tax and $1,164 less 1BR rent a year
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Lexington-Fayette, KY → Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN On $100k: $1,327 less tax and $6,900 more 1BR rent a year
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Lexington-Fayette, KY → Peoria, IL On $100k: $1,327 less tax and $2,928 less 1BR rent a year
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Moving from Kentucky to Illinois: Cost & Tax Comparison Overview

Moving from Kentucky to Illinois on a $100,000 salary: pay $1,423 more in total taxes per year; average one-bedroom rent is $1,053 vs $884 a month (HUD FMR).

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

For a single filer earning $100,000 with no local income tax, total federal, FICA and state taxes are $1,423 higher in Illinois than in Kentucky (1.4 percentage points of gross pay). The average HUD one-bedroom Fair Market Rent across Illinois's metros is $1,053 a month, versus $884 in Kentucky (+19.2%). Taxes and one-bedroom rent combined change by -$3,457 a year.

What are the key tax differences between Kentucky and Illinois?

Kentucky: Flat Tax, top rate 3.5%. Illinois: Flat Tax, top rate 4.95%. Federal income tax and FICA are the same in both states.