Moving to Illinois from Massachusetts
What to Expect
Considering a move from Massachusetts to Illinois? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Massachusetts to Illinois, you would find that Illinois is 9.1% cheaper than Massachusetts. A $75,000 salary in Massachusetts would need to be roughly $60,527 in Illinois to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Massachusetts and Illinois.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $60,527
To maintain the same standard of living in Illinois
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 13.0% less
Groceries
pay 12.2% less
Transportation
pay 1.2% more
Housing
pay 20.1% less
Childcare
pay 15.3% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 11.8% 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 Illinois cost about 24% less than cities in Massachusetts.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Illinois compared to Massachusetts.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Massachusetts generally does better on safety, though Illinois leads in violent 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
Massachusetts performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Illinois performs significantly better than Massachusetts across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Massachusetts generally does better on infrastructure, though Illinois 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
Massachusetts performs better than Illinois across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Massachusetts performs better than Illinois 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 | Boston | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 40°/26°F (4°/-3°C) | 42°/25°F (6°/-4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 66°/50°F (19°/10°C) | 74°/52°F (23°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 78°/62°F (25°/17°C) | 83°/61°F (29°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/38°F (11°/3°C) | 52°/33°F (11°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Boston | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.4°C) | 35°/19°F (1.6°/-7.4°C) |
| Feb | 39°/25°F (3.7°/-4.1°C) | 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.2°C) |
| Mar | 45°/31°F (7.4°/-0.5°C) | 52°/32°F (11.2°/0.1°C) |
| Apr | 56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C) | 65°/42°F (18.1°/5.8°C) |
| May | 66°/50°F (18.9°/9.9°C) | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.4°C) |
| Jun | 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.3°C) | 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.6°C) |
| Jul | 81°/65°F (27.4°/18.6°C) | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.6°C) |
| Aug | 80°/65°F (26.4°/18.1°C) | 85°/64°F (29.4°/17.6°C) |
| Sep | 72°/57°F (22.4°/14.1°C) | 79°/55°F (26.1°/12.6°C) |
| Oct | 61°/47°F (16.3°/8.1°C) | 66°/44°F (19.1°/6.6°C) |
| Nov | 51°/38°F (10.8°/3.3°C) | 52°/34°F (11.3°/1.1°C) |
| Dec | 41°/28°F (5.1°/-2.1°C) | 38°/22°F (3.5°/-5.3°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Illinois than Massachusetts?
On average Illinois is about 19% less expensive than Massachusetts, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Illinois?
Budget about $15,132 for 3 months in Illinois (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Illinois safe?
Massachusetts generally does better on safety, though Illinois leads in violent crime rate.
How is healthcare in Illinois compared to Massachusetts?
Massachusetts performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Illinois compared to Massachusetts?
The average high temperature in Springfield is 63°F, compared to 59°F in Boston. Springfield receives around 37.4 in of rainfall per year, while Boston gets 43.8 in.
