Moving to Illinois from Connecticut

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Connecticut to Illinois — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Connecticut to Illinois, you would find that Illinois is 9.2% cheaper than Connecticut. A $75,000 salary in Connecticut would need to be roughly $58,872 in Illinois to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Connecticut to Illinois.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $58,872

To maintain the same standard of living in Illinois

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 14.7% less

Groceries

pay 20.1% less

Transportation

pay 3.4% more

Housing

pay 18.4% less

Childcare

pay 3.1% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 14.7% less

See full cost of living breakdown

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Connecticut to Illinois.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

CT
147
IL
306
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

CT
1528
IL
1697

Connecticut performs better than Illinois across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

CT
5.1%
IL
6.8%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

CT
31.3%
IL
34.6%

Connecticut performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

CT
$343,200
IL
$250,500
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

CT
$1,431
IL
$1,227

Illinois performs significantly better than Connecticut across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

CT
91.3%
IL
89.6%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

CT
27 min
IL
28 min

Connecticut performs better than Illinois across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

CT
4.1%
IL
4.8%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

CT
$77,582
IL
$70,691

Connecticut performs better than Illinois across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

CT
78.4 yrs
IL
76.8 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

CT
29%
IL
26%

Connecticut performs better than Illinois across all family life metrics.

Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Bridgeport Rain: 47.7 in/yr (1212 mm)
61° / 42°F

Avg. annual high / low

Springfield Rain: 37.4 in/yr (951 mm)
63° / 43°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Bridgeport Springfield
Jan–Mar 42°/23°F (6°/-5°C) 42°/25°F (6°/-4°C)
Apr–Jun 68°/49°F (20°/10°C) 74°/52°F (23°/11°C)
Jul–Sep 80°/62°F (26°/16°C) 83°/61°F (29°/16°C)
Oct–Dec 53°/34°F (12°/1°C) 52°/33°F (11°/1°C)
View all months
Month Bridgeport Springfield
Jan 38°/20°F (3.1°/-6.9°C) 35°/19°F (1.6°/-7.4°C)
Feb 41°/21°F (4.9°/-6.0°C) 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.2°C)
Mar 47°/29°F (8.6°/-1.7°C) 52°/32°F (11.2°/0.1°C)
Apr 59°/40°F (15.1°/4.2°C) 65°/42°F (18.1°/5.8°C)
May 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.6°C) 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.4°C)
Jun 78°/59°F (25.7°/15.1°C) 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.6°C)
Jul 83°/65°F (28.1°/18.3°C) 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.6°C)
Aug 82°/64°F (27.6°/17.7°C) 85°/64°F (29.4°/17.6°C)
Sep 75°/56°F (23.7°/13.1°C) 79°/55°F (26.1°/12.6°C)
Oct 63°/44°F (17.4°/6.5°C) 66°/44°F (19.1°/6.6°C)
Nov 54°/34°F (12.1°/1.3°C) 52°/34°F (11.3°/1.1°C)
Dec 43°/24°F (6.1°/-4.2°C) 38°/22°F (3.5°/-5.3°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Illinois than Connecticut?

Yes — Illinois is on average about 22% cheaper than Connecticut. City-level variation can be significant.

How much money do I need to move to Illinois?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $14,718 in Illinois on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).

Is Illinois safe?

Connecticut performs better than Illinois across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Illinois compared to Connecticut?

Connecticut performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Illinois compared to Connecticut?

The average high temperature in Springfield is 63°F, compared to 61°F in Bridgeport. Springfield receives around 37.4 in of rainfall per year, while Bridgeport gets 47.7 in.

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