Moving from South 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 South Carolina and Illinois, side by side.
Moving to Illinois costs about
+$240/mo
more than South Carolina each month, renting
Worth knowing
Groceries, gas & goods is what separates these two states
Of everything that changes when you move from South Carolina to Illinois, groceries, gas & goods moves the most: about $137 a month more.
South Carolina vs Illinois at a glance
| South Carolina | Illinois | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $259,000 | $263,300 |
| Median rent | $1,180/mo | $1,274/mo |
| State income tax | Up to 6.00% | Flat 4.95% |
| Property tax rate | 0.48% | 2.01% |
| Groceries, gas & goods | 96 | 104 |
| Utilities | 88 | 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 | SC | IL | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| Housing (median rent) | $1,180 | $1,274 | +$94 |
| Taxes | |||
| State income tax | $304 | $318 | +$14 |
| Sales tax (on everyday spending) | $88 | $95 | +$7 |
| Everyday costs | |||
| Groceries, gas & goodsBiggest factor | $1,766 | $1,904 | +$137 |
| Utilities | $361 | $347 | -$14 |
| Total | +$240 | ||
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. Greenville is not South 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.