Moving to Illinois from Iowa
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Iowa to Illinois — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Iowa to Illinois, you would find that Illinois is 14.8% more expensive than Iowa. A $75,000 salary in Iowa would need to be roughly $84,217 in Illinois to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Iowa to Illinois.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $84,217
To maintain the same standard of living in Illinois
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 2.3% more
Groceries
pay 8.8% more
Transportation
pay 30.2% more
Housing
pay 19.7% more
Childcare
pay 30.0% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 4.2% more
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 Illinois cost about 11% more than cities in Iowa.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Iowa to Illinois.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Iowa performs 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
Iowa generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Illinois leads in adult obesity rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Iowa performs better than Illinois across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Iowa generally does better on infrastructure, though Illinois leads in internet access.
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
Iowa generally does better on employment & economy, though Illinois leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Iowa generally does better on family life, though Illinois leads in bachelor's degree or higher.
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 | Des Moines | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) | 42°/25°F (6°/-4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) | 74°/52°F (23°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) | 83°/61°F (29°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) | 52°/33°F (11°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Des Moines | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) | 35°/19°F (1.6°/-7.4°C) |
| Feb | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) | 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.2°C) |
| Mar | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) | 52°/32°F (11.2°/0.1°C) |
| Apr | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) | 65°/42°F (18.1°/5.8°C) |
| May | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.4°C) |
| Jun | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) | 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.6°C) |
| Jul | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.6°C) |
| Aug | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) | 85°/64°F (29.4°/17.6°C) |
| Sep | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) | 79°/55°F (26.1°/12.6°C) |
| Oct | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) | 66°/44°F (19.1°/6.6°C) |
| Nov | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) | 52°/34°F (11.3°/1.1°C) |
| Dec | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) | 38°/22°F (3.5°/-5.3°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Illinois than Iowa?
No — Illinois is on average about 12% more expensive than Iowa. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Illinois?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $21,054 in Illinois on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Illinois safe?
Iowa performs better than Illinois across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Illinois compared to Iowa?
Iowa generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Illinois leads in adult obesity rate.
What's the weather like in Illinois compared to Iowa?
The average high temperature in Springfield is 63°F, compared to 60°F in Des Moines. Springfield receives around 37.4 in of rainfall per year, while Des Moines gets 36.0 in.
