Interstate Relocation: Maryland → Illinois

Moving from Maryland to Illinois: Cost & Tax Comparison

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

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

Effective Tax Rate Change +0.4 pts IL vs MD, $100k single
Annual Tax Savings -$419 Federal + FICA + state, $100k
1BR Rent Change -20.5% Avg 1BR $1,053 vs $1,324/mo
Net Annual Difference +$2,830 Tax savings + 1BR rent savings

What changes when you move from Maryland to Illinois

Maryland has graduated income tax rates up to 6.5% and Illinois has a flat 4.95% income tax. On a $100,000 salary a single filer pays $4,386 in state income tax in Maryland and $4,805 in state income tax in Illinois. With federal income tax and FICA unchanged, total tax rises by $419 a year after the move. HUD's one-bedroom Fair Market Rent averages $1,324 a month across Maryland's metro areas and $1,053 across Illinois's (-20.5%). Pay differs too: the BLS median wage across all occupations, weighted by employment in each state's metros, is $58,153 in Maryland 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: Maryland

Maryland Paycheck & Living Costs

Destination State: Illinois

Illinois Paycheck & Living Costs

Metropolitan Corridors Between Maryland & Illinois

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD → Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN On $100k: $2,572 less tax and $1,860 more 1BR rent a year
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Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD → Peoria, IL On $100k: $2,572 less tax and $7,968 less 1BR rent a year
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Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV → Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN On $100k: $2,338 less tax and $9,576 more 1BR rent a year
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Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV → Peoria, IL On $100k: $2,338 less tax and $252 less 1BR rent a year
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Moving from Maryland to Illinois: Cost & Tax Comparison Overview

Moving from Maryland to Illinois on a $100,000 salary: pay $419 more in total taxes per year; average one-bedroom rent is $1,053 vs $1,324 a month (HUD FMR).

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

For a single filer earning $100,000 with no local income tax, total federal, FICA and state taxes are $419 higher in Illinois than in Maryland (0.4 percentage points of gross pay). The average HUD one-bedroom Fair Market Rent across Illinois's metros is $1,053 a month, versus $1,324 in Maryland (-20.5%). Taxes and one-bedroom rent combined change by +$2,830 a year.

What are the key tax differences between Maryland and Illinois?

Maryland: Graduated Brackets, top rate 6.5%. Illinois: Flat Tax, top rate 4.95%. Federal income tax and FICA are the same in both states.