Moving to Alabama from Illinois
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Illinois to Alabama — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Illinois to Alabama, you would find that Alabama is 14.0% cheaper than Illinois. A $75,000 salary in Illinois would need to be roughly $65,567 in Alabama to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Montgomery averages 76°F vs 63°F in Springfield, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Illinois to Alabama.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $65,567
To maintain the same standard of living in Alabama
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 4.8% less
Groceries
pay 0.6% more
Transportation
pay 13.8% less
Housing
pay 15.7% less
Childcare
pay 30.0% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 15.1% less
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 Illinois to Alabama.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Illinois generally does better on safety, though Alabama leads in property crime rate.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
Illinois performs better than Alabama across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Alabama performs significantly better than Illinois across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Illinois generally does better on infrastructure, though Alabama leads in average commute.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
Illinois generally does better on employment & economy, though Alabama leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Illinois performs better than Alabama 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.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Springfield | Montgomery |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 42°/25°F (6°/-4°C) | 63°/40°F (17°/4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 74°/52°F (23°/11°C) | 84°/60°F (29°/16°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 83°/61°F (29°/16°C) | 90°/69°F (32°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 52°/33°F (11°/1°C) | 69°/45°F (21°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Springfield | Montgomery |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/19°F (1.6°/-7.4°C) | 57°/36°F (14.1°/2.1°C) |
| Feb | 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.2°C) | 62°/39°F (16.6°/4.0°C) |
| Mar | 52°/32°F (11.2°/0.1°C) | 70°/45°F (20.9°/7.4°C) |
| Apr | 65°/42°F (18.1°/5.8°C) | 77°/52°F (24.8°/10.9°C) |
| May | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.4°C) | 84°/61°F (28.9°/15.9°C) |
| Jun | 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.6°C) | 90°/68°F (32.1°/20.1°C) |
| Jul | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.6°C) | 92°/71°F (33.4°/21.9°C) |
| Aug | 85°/64°F (29.4°/17.6°C) | 92°/71°F (33.3°/21.7°C) |
| Sep | 79°/55°F (26.1°/12.6°C) | 87°/65°F (30.7°/18.4°C) |
| Oct | 66°/44°F (19.1°/6.6°C) | 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C) |
| Nov | 52°/34°F (11.3°/1.1°C) | 69°/44°F (20.6°/6.6°C) |
| Dec | 38°/22°F (3.5°/-5.3°C) | 60°/37°F (15.3°/3.0°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Alabama than Illinois?
Yes — Alabama is on average about 13% cheaper than Illinois. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Alabama?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $16,392 in Alabama on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Alabama safe?
Illinois generally does better on safety, though Alabama leads in property crime rate.
How is healthcare in Alabama compared to Illinois?
Illinois performs better than Alabama across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Alabama compared to Illinois?
The average high temperature in Montgomery is 76°F, compared to 63°F in Springfield. Montgomery receives around 53.1 in of rainfall per year, while Springfield gets 37.4 in.
