Moving to Illinois: Costs, Routes & What to Know

Illinois at a glance

Illinois is the nation's 6th most populous state at roughly 12.7 million residents, overwhelmingly centered on the Chicago metro area (9.4 million people, about three-quarters of the state's population), with much smaller downstate metros in Rockford, Peoria and Springfield (the state capital). Illinois levies a flat individual income tax of 4.95% — simpler than a graduated bracket system, but combined with high property taxes it's frequently cited as a driver of the state's persistent domestic out-migration. Illinois has ranked among the top 3 states for net domestic out-migration in most recent years, losing residents primarily to neighboring Indiana and Wisconsin plus Sun Belt states like Texas and Florida, even as international migration has kept total population roughly flat to slightly positive.

Population

12,719,141

July 1, 2025

State income tax

Yes

Major metros

Chicago–Naperville–Elgin MSA (9.41M, spans IL/IN/WI), Peoria (364,600), Rockford (337,100), Springfield (206,300) — 2024 USAFacts/Census Bureau estimates

flat 4.95% individual income tax rate (not graduated). Illinois Department of Revenue — Income Tax Rates

Who is moving in and out

Illinois has posted net domestic out-migration for years running, consistently ranking among the two or three states losing the most residents to other states in absolute terms (behind only California and New York in some recent years). ACS state-to-state flow data for 2024 shows roughly 283,000 people left Illinois for another state against about 202,000 who moved in — a net loss of about 82,500. The most recent Census Population Estimates vintage (July 2024–June 2025) shows a smaller net domestic loss of about 40,000 for that specific year, offset by roughly 44,000 international arrivals, leaving Illinois's total population up slightly (+16,108). Indiana and Wisconsin — both bordering states — are consistently the top two destinations for Illinois leavers, alongside Florida; Texas, California, Wisconsin, Indiana and Florida are the top sources of people moving in.

Inbound

201,600

Outbound

283,300

Net domestic

−82,500

Data year: 2024 ACS state-to-state migration flows (USAFacts does not clearly specify 1-year vs. 5-year ACS on its methodology text); Census Population Estimates Program Vintage 2025 (July 2024–June 2025) for the most recent net-domestic-migration figure

the USAFacts page shows minor internal rounding inconsistencies between its summary stat block (201,600 in / 283,300 out) and its narrative text (200,300 in / 282,800 out) — both are close enough to be the same underlying figure, but were not independently re-verified against the primary Census table. Multiple legitimate Census products (ACS state-to-state flows vs. two different vintages of the Population Estimates Program) report different net-migration totals for overlapping-but-distinct periods (-82,500 vs. -56,235 vs. -40,017); all are shown with their specific periods rather than picking one and hiding the discrepancy.

Typical moving costs

These figures are national moving-industry planning ranges scaled by home size, not Illinois-specific pricing — cost data at that level of granularity isn't reliably published for any single state. They use the same underlying benchmarks as MoverQuoteEngine's own moving cost calculator: an hourly local-move rate and a per-pound long-distance rate, scaled by the typical crew time and shipment weight for each home size. A genuinely Illinois-specific range would need to be derived from this state's own priced move corridors, once enough live route pages exist to support that — not attempted in this pass (see `upgrade_note` below).

For a number tailored to your actual move, use the moving cost calculator.

Once this state has enough live city-pair route pages, replace this national-benchmark table with a state-specific range derived from those priced corridors. Not done here because the route inventory wasn't available to this research pass.

New-resident deadlines

Housing, season and licensing

Housing snapshot

HUD's Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom unit in the Chicago area is $1,750/month for FY2026 (effective August 1, 2025) — a useful proxy for typical mid-market rent across the metro that dominates Illinois's population. HUD Fair Market Rents dataset; figure via fmr.fyi — Chicago, IL FY2026 Fair Market Rent, a third-party aggregator of HUD's published FMR data (not independently re-derived from HUD's raw county-level file in this pass).

Peak moving season

Chicago has a distinct, historically-rooted "May 1st Moving Day" pattern on top of the generic national summer peak — a tradition dating to 19th-century lease customs that real-estate boards baked into standard Chicago leases, and which still concentrates a disproportionate share of the city's annual moving-truck rentals into April–May even though leases no longer formally require a May 1 start. RentConfident — Why So Many Chicago Renters Move in May

Mover licensing

Yes — Illinois requires its own intrastate authority. Per the state's official service page, "any business or individual engaged in the transportation of household property on a for-hire basis must obtain a Household Goods License from the [Illinois Commerce Commission]," separate from the federal FMCSA (USDOT/MC number) authority required for interstate moves; licensed movers must also file a tariff with the ICC. Illinois.gov — Household Goods Movers

Common in-state corridors

• Chicago → Springfield — state capital corridor, ~200 miles
• Chicago → Peoria — ~170 miles
• Chicago → Rockford — ~90 miles, Illinois's two largest metros outside the capital region

Popular routes

Partner-state lists come from Census migration flows. Linked corridors above are live published route pages, not guessed slugs.

Illinois city guides

• Moving to Chicago

Coming soon: Peoria, Rockford, Springfield.

Frequently asked questions

Does Illinois have a state income tax?

Yes — a flat 4.95% rate on individual income, regardless of income level (not a graduated bracket system).

Do movers need a special license for in-state moves in Illinois?

Yes. Illinois requires movers doing business within the state to hold a Household Goods License from the Illinois Commerce Commission, separate from the federal FMCSA authority that governs interstate moves. Confirm a mover's ICC license before booking an in-state move.

When is moving season busiest in Illinois?

Like most of the country, summer is the general peak — but Chicago has its own added spike: a historical "May 1st Moving Day" tradition still concentrates an outsized share of the city's annual moving activity into April and May, on top of the broader June–August rush.

How much does it cost to move within Illinois, e.g. from Chicago to Springfield or Peoria?

There's no separate in-state corridor pricing yet — use the local-move rows in the cost table above as a starting range, or the moving cost calculator for a number based on your actual home size and distance.

What's rent like in the Chicago area right now?

HUD's Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in the Chicago metro is $1,750/month for FY2026, a useful benchmark for typical mid-market rent in the metro where three-quarters of Illinois's population lives.