Interstate Relocation: Massachusetts → Illinois

Moving from Massachusetts to Illinois: Cost & Tax Comparison

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

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

Effective Tax Rate Change +0.0 pts IL vs MA, $100k single
Annual Tax Savings -$25 Federal + FICA + state, $100k
1BR Rent Change -37.9% Avg 1BR $1,053 vs $1,695/mo
Net Annual Difference +$7,681 Tax savings + 1BR rent savings

What changes when you move from Massachusetts to Illinois

Massachusetts has graduated income tax rates up to 9% and Illinois has a flat 4.95% income tax. On a $100,000 salary a single filer pays $4,780 in state income tax in Massachusetts and $4,805 in state income tax in Illinois. With federal income tax and FICA unchanged, total tax rises by $25 a year after the move. HUD's one-bedroom Fair Market Rent averages $1,695 a month across Massachusetts's metro areas and $1,053 across Illinois's (-37.9%). Pay differs too: the BLS median wage across all occupations, weighted by employment in each state's metros, is $64,181 in Massachusetts 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: Massachusetts

Massachusetts Paycheck & Living Costs

Destination State: Illinois

Illinois Paycheck & Living Costs

Metropolitan Corridors Between Massachusetts & Illinois

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH → Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN On $100k: $25 more tax and $8,856 less 1BR rent a year
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Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH → Peoria, IL On $100k: $25 more tax and $18,684 less 1BR rent a year
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Worcester, MA → Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN On $100k: $25 more tax and $2,316 more 1BR rent a year
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Worcester, MA → Peoria, IL On $100k: $25 more tax and $7,512 less 1BR rent a year
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Moving from Massachusetts to Illinois: Cost & Tax Comparison Overview

Moving from Massachusetts to Illinois on a $100,000 salary: pay $25 more in total taxes per year; average one-bedroom rent is $1,053 vs $1,695 a month (HUD.

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

For a single filer earning $100,000 with no local income tax, total federal, FICA and state taxes are $25 higher in Illinois than in Massachusetts (0.0 percentage points of gross pay). The average HUD one-bedroom Fair Market Rent across Illinois's metros is $1,053 a month, versus $1,695 in Massachusetts (-37.9%). Taxes and one-bedroom rent combined change by +$7,681 a year.

What are the key tax differences between Massachusetts and Illinois?

Massachusetts: Graduated Brackets, top rate 9%. Illinois: Flat Tax, top rate 4.95%. Federal income tax and FICA are the same in both states.