Moving to Kentucky from Illinois
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Illinois to Kentucky — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Illinois to Kentucky, you would find that Kentucky is 12.0% cheaper than Illinois. A $75,000 salary in Illinois would need to be roughly $68,920 in Kentucky to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Illinois to Kentucky.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $68,920
To maintain the same standard of living in Kentucky
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 5.6% less
Groceries
pay 5.1% less
Transportation
pay 14.7% less
Housing
pay 11.8% less
Childcare
pay 14.9% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 17.1% 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 Kentucky.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Kentucky performs significantly better than Illinois across all safety metrics.
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 generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kentucky leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Kentucky 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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky 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 | Bowling Green |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 42°/25°F (6°/-4°C) | 52°/31°F (11°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 74°/52°F (23°/11°C) | 78°/55°F (25°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 83°/61°F (29°/16°C) | 87°/64°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 52°/33°F (11°/1°C) | 59°/38°F (15°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Springfield | Bowling Green |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/19°F (1.6°/-7.4°C) | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.1°C) |
| Feb | 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.2°C) | 50°/30°F (10.0°/-1.3°C) |
| Mar | 52°/32°F (11.2°/0.1°C) | 60°/37°F (15.4°/2.8°C) |
| Apr | 65°/42°F (18.1°/5.8°C) | 70°/46°F (20.9°/7.6°C) |
| May | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.4°C) | 78°/55°F (25.4°/12.8°C) |
| Jun | 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.6°C) | 86°/64°F (30.1°/17.7°C) |
| Jul | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.6°C) | 89°/68°F (31.9°/19.9°C) |
| Aug | 85°/64°F (29.4°/17.6°C) | 89°/66°F (31.6°/18.9°C) |
| Sep | 79°/55°F (26.1°/12.6°C) | 82°/58°F (27.8°/14.4°C) |
| Oct | 66°/44°F (19.1°/6.6°C) | 71°/46°F (21.8°/7.9°C) |
| Nov | 52°/34°F (11.3°/1.1°C) | 59°/38°F (15.2°/3.1°C) |
| Dec | 38°/22°F (3.5°/-5.3°C) | 48°/29°F (8.8°/-1.6°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Kentucky than Illinois?
Yes — Kentucky is on average about 8% cheaper than Illinois. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Kentucky?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $17,230 in Kentucky on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Kentucky safe?
Kentucky performs significantly better than Illinois across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Kentucky compared to Illinois?
Illinois generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kentucky leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Kentucky compared to Illinois?
The average high temperature in Bowling Green is 69°F, compared to 63°F in Springfield. Bowling Green receives around 49.9 in of rainfall per year, while Springfield gets 37.4 in.
