Interstate Relocation: Tennessee → Illinois

Moving from Tennessee to Illinois: Cost & Tax Comparison

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

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

Effective Tax Rate Change +4.8 pts IL vs TN, $100k single
Annual Tax Savings -$4,805 Federal + FICA + state, $100k
1BR Rent Change +7.8% Avg 1BR $1,053 vs $977/mo
Net Annual Difference -$5,721 Tax savings + 1BR rent savings

What changes when you move from Tennessee to Illinois

Tennessee has no state income tax on wages and Illinois has a flat 4.95% income tax. On a $100,000 salary a single filer pays $0 in state income tax in Tennessee and $4,805 in state income tax in Illinois. With federal income tax and FICA unchanged, total tax rises by $4,805 a year after the move. HUD's one-bedroom Fair Market Rent averages $977 a month across Tennessee's metro areas and $1,053 across Illinois's (+7.8%). Pay differs too: the BLS median wage across all occupations, weighted by employment in each state's metros, is $47,793 in Tennessee 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: Tennessee

Tennessee Paycheck & Living Costs

Destination State: Illinois

Illinois Paycheck & Living Costs

Metropolitan Corridors Between Tennessee & Illinois

Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN → Peoria, IL On $100k: $4,805 more tax and $8,268 less 1BR rent a year
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Memphis, TN-MS-AR → Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN On $100k: $4,805 more tax and $7,068 more 1BR rent a year
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Memphis, TN-MS-AR → Peoria, IL On $100k: $4,805 more tax and $2,760 less 1BR rent a year
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Moving from Tennessee to Illinois: Cost & Tax Comparison Overview

Moving from Tennessee to Illinois on a $100,000 salary: pay $4,805 more in total taxes per year; average one-bedroom rent is $1,053 vs $977 a month (HUD FMR).

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

For a single filer earning $100,000 with no local income tax, total federal, FICA and state taxes are $4,805 higher in Illinois than in Tennessee (4.8 percentage points of gross pay). The average HUD one-bedroom Fair Market Rent across Illinois's metros is $1,053 a month, versus $977 in Tennessee (+7.8%). Taxes and one-bedroom rent combined change by -$5,721 a year.

What are the key tax differences between Tennessee and Illinois?

Tennessee: No State Income Tax, top rate 0%. Illinois: Flat Tax, top rate 4.95%. Federal income tax and FICA are the same in both states.