Interstate Relocation: Wisconsin → Illinois

Moving from Wisconsin to Illinois: Cost & Tax Comparison

Compare state income tax savings, HUD rent differentials, and household purchasing power adjustments when relocating from Wisconsin 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 WI, $100k single
Annual Tax Savings -$378 Federal + FICA + state, $100k
1BR Rent Change +7.3% Avg 1BR $1,053 vs $981/mo
Net Annual Difference -$1,243 Tax savings + 1BR rent savings

What changes when you move from Wisconsin to Illinois

Wisconsin has graduated income tax rates up to 7.65% and Illinois has a flat 4.95% income tax. On a $100,000 salary a single filer pays $4,428 in state income tax in Wisconsin and $4,805 in state income tax in Illinois. With federal income tax and FICA unchanged, total tax rises by $378 a year after the move. HUD's one-bedroom Fair Market Rent averages $981 a month across Wisconsin's metro areas and $1,053 across Illinois's (+7.3%). Pay differs too: the BLS median wage across all occupations, weighted by employment in each state's metros, is $51,836 in Wisconsin 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: Wisconsin

Wisconsin Paycheck & Living Costs

Destination State: Illinois

Illinois Paycheck & Living Costs

Metropolitan Corridors Between Wisconsin & Illinois

Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI → Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN On $100k: $378 more tax and $8,640 more 1BR rent a year
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Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI → Peoria, IL On $100k: $378 more tax and $1,188 less 1BR rent a year
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Madison, WI → Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN On $100k: $378 more tax and $4,860 more 1BR rent a year
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Madison, WI → Peoria, IL On $100k: $378 more tax and $4,968 less 1BR rent a year
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Moving from Wisconsin to Illinois: Cost & Tax Comparison Overview

Moving from Wisconsin to Illinois on a $100,000 salary: pay $378 more in total taxes per year; average one-bedroom rent is $1,053 vs $981 a month (HUD FMR).

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

For a single filer earning $100,000 with no local income tax, total federal, FICA and state taxes are $378 higher in Illinois than in Wisconsin (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 $981 in Wisconsin (+7.3%). Taxes and one-bedroom rent combined change by -$1,243 a year.

What are the key tax differences between Wisconsin and Illinois?

Wisconsin: Graduated Brackets, top rate 7.65%. Illinois: Flat Tax, top rate 4.95%. Federal income tax and FICA are the same in both states.