Interstate Relocation: Montana → Illinois

Moving from Montana to Illinois: Cost & Tax Comparison

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

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

Effective Tax Rate Change +0.5 pts IL vs MT, $100k single
Annual Tax Savings -$516 Federal + FICA + state, $100k
1BR Rent Change -14.9% Avg 1BR $1,053 vs $1,237/mo
Net Annual Difference +$1,694 Tax savings + 1BR rent savings

What changes when you move from Montana to Illinois

Montana has graduated income tax rates up to 5.65% and Illinois has a flat 4.95% income tax. On a $100,000 salary a single filer pays $4,289 in state income tax in Montana and $4,805 in state income tax in Illinois. With federal income tax and FICA unchanged, total tax rises by $516 a year after the move. HUD's one-bedroom Fair Market Rent averages $1,237 a month across Montana's metro areas and $1,053 across Illinois's (-14.9%). Pay differs too: the BLS median wage across all occupations, weighted by employment in each state's metros, is $50,674 in Montana 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: Montana

Montana Paycheck & Living Costs

Destination State: Illinois

Illinois Paycheck & Living Costs

Metropolitan Corridors Between Montana & Illinois

Billings, MT → Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN On $100k: $516 more tax and $7,776 more 1BR rent a year
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Billings, MT → Peoria, IL On $100k: $516 more tax and $2,052 less 1BR rent a year
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Bozeman, MT → Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN On $100k: $516 more tax and $2,016 more 1BR rent a year
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Bozeman, MT → Peoria, IL On $100k: $516 more tax and $7,812 less 1BR rent a year
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Moving from Montana to Illinois: Cost & Tax Comparison Overview

Moving from Montana to Illinois on a $100,000 salary: pay $516 more in total taxes per year; average one-bedroom rent is $1,053 vs $1,237 a month (HUD FMR).

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

For a single filer earning $100,000 with no local income tax, total federal, FICA and state taxes are $516 higher in Illinois than in Montana (0.5 percentage points of gross pay). The average HUD one-bedroom Fair Market Rent across Illinois's metros is $1,053 a month, versus $1,237 in Montana (-14.9%). Taxes and one-bedroom rent combined change by +$1,694 a year.

What are the key tax differences between Montana and Illinois?

Montana: Graduated Brackets, top rate 5.65%. Illinois: Flat Tax, top rate 4.95%. Federal income tax and FICA are the same in both states.