Moving to Ohio from Illinois
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Illinois to Ohio — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Illinois to Ohio, you would find that Ohio is 10.1% cheaper than Illinois. A $75,000 salary in Illinois would need to be roughly $67,786 in Ohio to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Columbus 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 Ohio.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $67,786
To maintain the same standard of living in Ohio
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 4.5% less
Groceries
pay 5.1% less
Transportation
pay 2.8% more
Housing
pay 11.7% less
Childcare
pay 22.5% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 15.0% 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.
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 Ohio cost about 11% less than cities in Illinois.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Illinois to Ohio.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Ohio 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 Ohio leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Ohio 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 Ohio 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 Ohio 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 Ohio 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 | Columbus |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 42°/25°F (6°/-4°C) | 63°/41°F (17°/5°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 74°/52°F (23°/11°C) | 84°/62°F (29°/16°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 83°/61°F (29°/16°C) | 90°/71°F (32°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 52°/33°F (11°/1°C) | 68°/47°F (20°/8°C) |
View all months
| Month | Springfield | Columbus |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/19°F (1.6°/-7.4°C) | 58°/37°F (14.2°/2.7°C) |
| Feb | 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.2°C) | 62°/40°F (16.7°/4.5°C) |
| Mar | 52°/32°F (11.2°/0.1°C) | 69°/46°F (20.8°/7.8°C) |
| Apr | 65°/42°F (18.1°/5.8°C) | 77°/53°F (24.8°/11.4°C) |
| May | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.4°C) | 84°/62°F (28.9°/16.6°C) |
| Jun | 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.6°C) | 90°/70°F (32.2°/20.9°C) |
| Jul | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.6°C) | 92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C) |
| Aug | 85°/64°F (29.4°/17.6°C) | 91°/72°F (33.0°/22.4°C) |
| Sep | 79°/55°F (26.1°/12.6°C) | 86°/67°F (30.2°/19.3°C) |
| Oct | 66°/44°F (19.1°/6.6°C) | 77°/56°F (25.2°/13.1°C) |
| Nov | 52°/34°F (11.3°/1.1°C) | 68°/46°F (20.2°/7.8°C) |
| Dec | 38°/22°F (3.5°/-5.3°C) | 59°/39°F (15.2°/3.8°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Ohio than Illinois?
Yes — Ohio is on average about 10% cheaper than Illinois. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Ohio?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $16,946 in Ohio on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Ohio safe?
Ohio performs significantly better than Illinois across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Ohio compared to Illinois?
Illinois generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Ohio leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Ohio compared to Illinois?
The average high temperature in Columbus is 76°F, compared to 63°F in Springfield. Columbus receives around 46.8 in of rainfall per year, while Springfield gets 37.4 in.
