Moving to North Carolina from Illinois

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What to Expect

Considering a move from Illinois to North Carolina? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Illinois to North Carolina, you would find that North Carolina is 1.5% cheaper than Illinois. A $75,000 salary in Illinois would need to be roughly $78,689 in North Carolina to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Illinois and North Carolina.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $78,689

To maintain the same standard of living in North Carolina

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 2.2% less

Groceries

pay 16.5% more

Transportation

pay 1.2% less

Housing

pay 3.3% more

Childcare

pay 7.9% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 9.7% 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.

Cost of living by city

Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).

On average, cities in North Carolina cost about 7% more than cities in Illinois.

North Carolina

Compare cities head-to-head

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in North Carolina compared to Illinois.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

IL
306
NC
379
Property crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

IL
1697
NC
1998

Illinois performs better than North Carolina across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rateUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

IL
6.8%
NC
9.6%
Adult obesity rateCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

IL
34.6%
NC
33.6%

Illinois generally does better on health & wellbeing, though North Carolina leads in adult obesity rate.

What about housing?

Median home valueUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

IL
$250,500
NC
$259,400
Median rentUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

IL
$1,227
NC
$1,162

Illinois generally does better on what about housing?, though North Carolina leads in median rent.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet accessUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

IL
89.6%
NC
88.7%
Average commuteUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

IL
28 min
NC
25 min

Illinois generally does better on infrastructure, though North Carolina leads in average commute.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rateBureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

IL
4.8%
NC
3.4%
GDP per capitaBureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

IL
$70,691
NC
$59,308

Illinois generally does better on employment & economy, though North Carolina leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyOECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

IL
76.8 yrs
NC
76.1 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higherUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

IL
26%
NC
22%

Illinois performs better than North Carolina 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.

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

Avg. annual high / low

AshevilleRain: 37.0 in/yr (940 mm)
67°/46°F

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsSpringfieldAsheville
Jan–Mar42°/25°F (6°/-4°C)52°/32°F (11°/0°C)
Apr–Jun74°/52°F (23°/11°C)75°/53°F (24°/12°C)
Jul–Sep83°/61°F (29°/16°C)82°/62°F (28°/17°C)
Oct–Dec52°/33°F (11°/1°C)58°/38°F (15°/3°C)
View all months
MonthSpringfieldAsheville
Jan35°/19°F (1.6°/-7.4°C)47°/28°F (8.1°/-2.4°C)
Feb40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.2°C)50°/31°F (10.2°/-0.6°C)
Mar52°/32°F (11.2°/0.1°C)58°/37°F (14.4°/2.9°C)
Apr65°/42°F (18.1°/5.8°C)67°/45°F (19.7°/7.3°C)
May75°/53°F (23.8°/11.4°C)75°/53°F (23.9°/11.7°C)
Jun83°/62°F (28.4°/16.6°C)82°/61°F (27.6°/16.1°C)
Jul86°/65°F (30.1°/18.6°C)85°/65°F (29.3°/18.1°C)
Aug85°/64°F (29.4°/17.6°C)84°/64°F (28.7°/17.7°C)
Sep79°/55°F (26.1°/12.6°C)77°/57°F (25.1°/13.8°C)
Oct66°/44°F (19.1°/6.6°C)68°/46°F (19.9°/7.9°C)
Nov52°/34°F (11.3°/1.1°C)58°/38°F (14.7°/3.1°C)
Dec38°/22°F (3.5°/-5.3°C)49°/30°F (9.4°/-0.9°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in North Carolina than Illinois?

On average North Carolina is around 5% pricier than Illinois, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to North Carolina?

Budget about $19,672 for 3 months in North Carolina (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is North Carolina safe?

Illinois performs better than North Carolina across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in North Carolina compared to Illinois?

Illinois generally does better on health & wellbeing, though North Carolina leads in adult obesity rate.

What's the weather like in North Carolina compared to Illinois?

The average high temperature in Asheville is 67°F, compared to 63°F in Springfield. Asheville receives around 37.0 in of rainfall per year, while Springfield gets 37.4 in.

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