What it costs to live here, and how good a place it is to live, in plain numbers.
Best place to live rank
#45
45th out of 50 states overall.
Among the weaker states for overall quality of life.
How we rank states ›Cost to live here
#26
26th cheapest state, about 2% below average.
To live the way $75,000 affords in an average state, you would need about $73,400 here.
How we measure cost ›Illinois ranks 45th of 50 states for overall quality of life and 26th for affordability. It does best on walkability, education, and dog friendly, and struggles most with green space, economy, and air quality. A typical household earns about $81,800 a year, and the cost of living runs about 2% below average.
Our Best Life Rank scores every state on the things that shape daily life, from cost and climate to schools and safety. Here is how Illinois scores on each, best to worst.
Each factor is ranked 1 (best) to 50 (worst) across all states. Green is strong, yellow is middling, red is weak.
Typical household income
$81,800
15th highest
Typical home price
$269,000
36th highest
Overall cost of living
2% below average
26th cheapest
Total taxes on a typical household
About 12%
23rd highest income tax
Typical commute
About 29 min
one way
Enter your salary and get your actual paycheck after Illinois taxes.
Calculate my take-home pay ›