Moving from North Carolina to Illinois
Everyone compares rent and groceries. Almost nobody compares the two numbers that actually decide whether a move works: state income tax and property tax. Here is North Carolina and Illinois, side by side.
Moving to Illinois costs about
+$280/mo
more than North Carolina each month, renting
Worth knowing
Groceries, gas & goods is what separates these two states
Of everything that changes when you move from North Carolina to Illinois, groceries, gas & goods moves the most: about $132 a month more.
North Carolina vs Illinois at a glance
| North Carolina | Illinois | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $288,900 | $263,300 |
| Median rent | $1,228/mo | $1,274/mo |
| State income tax | Flat 3.99% | Flat 4.95% |
| Property tax rate | 0.66% | 2.01% |
| Groceries, gas & goods | 97 | 104 |
| Utilities | 89 | 85 |
Price levels are indexes where 100 is the national average. They cover everyday spending only; housing is the two rows above.
What changes each month
| Monthly | NC | IL | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| Housing (median rent) | $1,228 | $1,274 | +$46 |
| Taxes | |||
| State income tax | $224 | $318 | +$94 |
| Sales tax (on everyday spending) | $69 | $95 | +$25 |
| Everyday costs | |||
| Groceries, gas & goodsBiggest factor | $1,771 | $1,904 | +$132 |
| Utilities | $362 | $347 | -$15 |
| Total | +$280 | ||
What the move itself costs
$2,000 to $4,500
From a container you load yourself up to full-service movers.
Shipping one car adds about $550 to $800, against roughly $250 in fuel and lodging to drive it the 2-day trip yourself.
These are statewide figures. Charlotte is not North Carolina-average and Chicago is not Illinois-average, so a specific city can look nothing like its state. Compare metro areas instead to narrow it to 387 real places, including which side of a state line you would live on.
Run this with your own numbers
Estimates only, not advice. Housing and income figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (2024); price levels from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024); tax rates are for the 2026 tax year, compiled from state revenue departments and the Tax Foundation. Moving costs are modelled from published ranges rather than quoted. Every figure is a statewide median or average and will not match any particular household.