Moving from Illinois to Florida: taxes, costs, cities

Is it cheaper to live in Florida or Illinois?

It depends on which line of the budget you look at, and the answer is different from most northern states. Taxes are lower in Florida. Housing and insurance are more expensive. For a homeowner who sells an Illinois house and buys a similar Florida house, the lower property tax usually covers the higher insurance, but you will likely pay more to buy.

Where Florida costs more

Zillow's typical Florida home value is $375,470, about $77,897 above Illinois's $297,573. Illinois values also rose 5.3% in the year to August 2026 while Florida's fell 1.5%, so the gap has narrowed, but it has not closed. Insurance is the other higher cost: the 2022 average homeowners premium was $2,677 in Florida and $1,343 in Illinois, according to NAIC data published by the Insurance Information Institute.

Where Florida costs less

Property tax and income tax. Even though the typical Florida home is worth more, 0.78% of $375,470 is about $2,929 a year, against about $5,594 at Illinois's 1.88% on $297,573. The flat 4.95% Illinois income tax is about $4,950 a year on $100,000 of net income; Florida has no personal income tax.

Illinois vs Florida: the comparison table

Item	Illinois	Florida
Personal income tax	Flat 4.95% of net income (since July 1, 2017)	None
Retirement income	Federally taxed Social Security and qualified retirement plan income subtracted	No income tax
Effective property tax rate (Tax Foundation, 2024)	1.88%, 2nd highest	0.78%, 27th
Zillow typical value, August 2026	$297,573	$375,470
Year-over-year change	+5.3%	-1.5%
Average homeowners premium (2022)	$1,343	$2,677
Time zone	Central	Eastern (except the western Panhandle)

Income tax and retirement income

The Illinois Department of Revenue lists the individual rate as 4.95% of net income, unchanged since July 2017. Illinois already lets you subtract federally taxed Social Security and income from qualified employee benefit plans such as 401(k)s, IRAs and pensions. If you are retired and living on those, you may be paying little Illinois income tax today, and the income tax saving from moving is small. If you are working, the saving is the full 4.95%.

Property tax

Illinois ranks second only to New Jersey on the Tax Foundation's 2024 effective rates. In Florida, a homestead home also gets an exemption of up to $51,411 of assessed value for 2026 and a cap on yearly assessment increases. Florida bills depend on county and city millage; our Florida property tax guide and the Hillsborough and Lee County pages show local rates for the two counties Illinois movers choose most.

Five years of home prices

Illinois home values have outpaced Florida's recently. Zillow's typical Illinois value rose 29.1% over the five years to August 2026, against 20.3% for Florida, and 5.3% against -1.5% in the latest year. The price gap that once made Florida look expensive to Illinois buyers is smaller than it was.

Insurance

Budget for Florida insurance to be roughly double what you pay in Illinois, then get quotes on real addresses, because roof age, wind mitigation features, elevation and distance from the coast move the price a lot. Flood insurance is separate and worth pricing even outside high-risk zones. Our homeowners insurance guide covers the details.

A year of housing costs: typical Illinois home vs typical Florida home

Putting the pieces together shows why the answer to "is Florida cheaper" depends on whether you carry a mortgage. The table uses Zillow's typical values, 20% down, Freddie Mac's 30-year average rate of 7.03% (September 24, 2026), each state's average effective property tax rate and the 2022 average homeowners premium.

Yearly cost	Illinois ($297,573 home)	Florida ($375,470 home)
Principal and interest	$19,063	$24,054
Property tax at state average rate	$5,594	$2,929
Homeowners insurance (2022 average)	$1,343	$2,677
Total	$26,001	$29,659

With a mortgage

On these averages the Florida home costs about $3,658 a year more to carry, because the bigger loan outweighs the property tax saving. Remove $4,950 of Illinois income tax on $100,000 of income and Florida comes out slightly ahead for a working household. Your own figures will differ with the price you pay, the county millage and the insurance quote on the house.

Without a mortgage

If you sell a paid-off Illinois home and buy for cash, the comparison is property tax plus insurance: about $6,937 in Illinois against $5,606 in Florida on the averages, before Florida's homestead exemption lowers the tax further. Flood insurance, HOA dues and any CDD assessment on the Florida side can erase that gap, so price them on the actual home.

Where people from Illinois settle in Florida

Illinois movers lean toward the Gulf coast. Census county-to-county estimates for 2016 to 2020 show about 25,644 people a year moving from Illinois to Florida, and Hillsborough, Lee, Pinellas and Sarasota counties together took about 27% of them. Palm Beach County, the top pick for New York and New Jersey movers, ranks only sixth.

County	Illinois movers per year	Share	Typical value (Aug 2026)	1-yr change
Hillsborough	2,094	8.2%	$377,121	-1.4%
Lee	2,023	7.9%	$335,409	-4.4%
Orange	1,741	6.8%	$400,602	-1.2%
Pinellas	1,631	6.4%	$370,534	-0.8%
Broward	1,589	6.2%	$423,492	-2.1%
Palm Beach	1,573	6.1%	$474,416	+1.2%
Sarasota	1,132	4.4%	$396,714	-2.9%
Miami-Dade	1,103	4.3%	$521,012	0.0%

Tampa Bay

Hillsborough and Pinellas together drew about 14.6% of Illinois movers. Tampa's typical value is $377,566, and its cost of living page breaks down rent, insurance and utilities. East of the city, Plant City runs lower at $340,391.

Cape Coral and Fort Myers

Lee County is second for Illinois movers and the cheapest county in the top eight at $335,409, after a 4.4% fall over the year. Cape Coral's typical value is $335,825, only about 13% above the Illinois statewide figure. Check flood zones and utility assessments before you buy.

Orlando

Orange County ranks third, with 6.8% of Illinois movers. Orlando's typical value is $371,120, just under the statewide figure. It is the only inland metro in the top four, which means no storm-surge coastline but no beach on the doorstep either. Nearby Clermont ($428,604) and Winter Garden ($566,535) are newer and pricier.

St. Petersburg and Pinellas County

Pinellas, the peninsula west of Tampa that includes St. Petersburg and Clearwater, drew 6.4% of Illinois movers at a typical value of $370,534, down 0.8%. It is densely built and largely coastal, so flood zone and elevation checks matter on nearly every address. Bright Florida Homes does not have Pinellas city guides yet; the Tampa pages cover the rest of the metro.

Southeast Florida

Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade together still took about 16.6% of Illinois movers, but they are the most expensive counties on the list, from $423,492 in Broward to $521,012 in Miami-Dade. Boca Raton ($576,824) is the Bright city guide for that coast.

Sarasota

Sarasota's typical value is $409,878, down 2.7% on the year. The Sarasota 55+ communities guide lists age-restricted options in the wider area.

Why are people moving out of Illinois?

The Census data counts moves, not reasons, so we can only show the scale. Adding up the 2024 state-to-state estimates, about 283,315 people left Illinois for another state and about 200,627 moved in, a net loss of roughly 82,700, the third largest after California and New York. Indiana (25,727), Florida (24,410) and Wisconsin (24,045) were the top destinations, close enough that their margins of error overlap. About 12,751 people moved from Florida to Illinois.

What the tax data does show is that Illinois homeowners carry one of the heaviest property tax loads in the country, which is the biggest single line Florida changes for most movers.

Leaving Illinois and becoming a Florida resident

Illinois and Florida handle the paperwork separately, and neither tells the other when you move. Treat it as two checklists: closing out Illinois cleanly, and building a Florida record that shows where you now live. Both are simpler if you sell the Illinois home rather than keep it.

Your last Illinois return

For the year you move, you file Form IL-1040 with Schedule NR as a part-year resident, reporting income from all sources while you lived in Illinois and Illinois-source income afterwards, such as rent from Illinois property you keep. Keep the move date clean and documented, because the date your domicile changes decides which income Illinois taxes in full.

Declaration of Domicile

Florida Statutes s. 222.17 allows a sworn Declaration of Domicile, filed with the clerk of the circuit court in your Florida county. It names your new address and the Illinois city and county you left, and the clerk charges a small service fee.

License, registration and car insurance

Get a Florida driver's license within 30 days of taking Florida employment or enrolling a child in a Florida public school, and register your car within 10 days. Out-of-state vehicles need a VIN verification to title, and many pay a $225 first-time registration fee. Florida policies need $10,000 in personal injury protection and $10,000 in property damage liability.

Voter registration

Homestead exemption

Own and occupy the home as your permanent residence on January 1, and apply to the county property appraiser by March 1. For 2026, Save Our Homes caps assessment increases at 2.7%. See the homestead guide.

Cost of moving from Illinois to Florida

Quotes on this route

moveBuddha's 2026 figures for the 1,183-mile Illinois to Florida route, drawn from 1,113 quotes, show a 2 to 3 bedroom home at $2,780 to $6,330 with full-service movers, $1,660 to $3,450 with a container and $810 to $1,760 in a rental truck. A studio or one-bedroom starts at $1,250 with movers; a 4+ bedroom home can reach $8,280. Containers ran about 45% below full-service on this route.

Checking the mover

FMCSA advises confirming that an interstate mover or broker is registered with a USDOT number, asking for the booklet Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move, and keeping the bill of lading until delivery and any claims are settled.

Moving from Illinois: a practical timeline

Two to three months before

Get your Illinois home valued and your Florida insurance quotes in the same week, so you can see the real budget. If you plan to rent first, line up the lease before you list. Winter moves out of northern Illinois can run into snow on loading day, so build slack into the schedule.

The month you move

Book the mover or container with a written estimate, arrange utilities at the Florida address, and forward mail. Keep receipts showing your move date; they support your part-year Illinois return.

Your first weeks in Florida

Swap your license and plates, sign the Declaration of Domicile at the county clerk, register to vote and move your banking. Update your address with the IRS, Social Security and any pension plan.

The following January to April

If you bought, be in the home on January 1 and file for homestead by March 1, then file the IL-1040 with Schedule NR for the move year.

Retiring from Illinois to Florida

Retirees should run the numbers carefully, because Illinois already exempts much of what they live on. Federally taxed Social Security, pensions from qualified plans, 401(k) withdrawals and IRA distributions are subtracted on the IL-1040, so a retiree living on those may owe little or no Illinois income tax. The saving from moving then comes mostly from property tax and, for many, from buying a smaller home.

Florida's homestead exemption and Save Our Homes cap help long-term owners, and there are age-restricted communities in most metros. See the Tampa, Cape Coral and Orlando 55+ guides, and the downsizing in Florida guide for selling a larger house and buying smaller.

Can you live in Florida on $1,500 a month?

Not if you are renting in the cities Bright Florida Homes covers. Zillow's typical rent in August 2026 was above $1,500 in every one of them, from $1,601 in Jacksonville and $1,618 in Gainesville to $1,957 in Tampa and $2,949 in Boca Raton. That is rent alone, before utilities, car insurance and food. A homeowner with no mortgage has a better chance, since the monthly costs are property tax, insurance, HOA fees and utilities, but Florida insurance alone averaged about $223 a month in 2022.

Adjusting after Illinois

No winter, a different storm season

You swap snow removal and heating bills for air conditioning most of the year and an Atlantic hurricane season from June 1 to November 30. Learn your evacuation zone and flood zone before closing.

An hour ahead

Most of Florida is on Eastern time, one hour ahead of Chicago, which matters if you keep an Illinois employer or clients.

Checklist before you decide

Compare your Illinois property tax bill with a Florida estimate at the county millage.
Get insurance quotes, including flood, on real Florida addresses.
Price the Florida purchase against your Illinois sale, since Florida homes cost more on average.
Check how much Illinois income tax you really pay if you are retired.
Visit in summer.

Common questions

Is it cheaper to live in Florida or Illinois?+

Taxes are cheaper in Florida, housing and insurance are not. Florida has no income tax against Illinois's flat 4.95%, and its effective property tax rate is 0.78% against 1.88%. But Zillow's typical Florida home value is $375,470 against $297,573 in Illinois, and Florida's 2022 average homeowners premium of $2,677 was about double Illinois's $1,343.

Why are people moving out of Illinois?+

Census data records moves, not motives. It shows about 283,315 people leaving Illinois for other states in 2024 and about 200,627 arriving, a net loss of roughly 82,700, the third largest of any state. Indiana, Florida and Wisconsin were the top destinations. Illinois also has the second-highest effective property tax rate in the country, 1.88% in 2024.

Can I live in Florida for $1500 a month?+

Renting, it is very hard. Zillow's typical rent in August 2026 was above $1,500 in every city Bright Florida Homes covers, from $1,601 in Jacksonville to $2,949 in Boca Raton, before utilities, food or car costs. Owners without a mortgage have a better chance, but insurance, property tax and HOA fees still need to fit inside that amount.

Is it smart to move to Florida right now?+

We don't forecast prices. What the data shows is that Florida's typical value fell 1.5% in the year to August 2026 while Illinois values rose 5.3%, so the gap between selling in Illinois and buying in Florida has narrowed. Insurance cost and availability on the specific home you want is the thing to settle before you commit.

Where do people from Illinois move in Florida?+

Mostly the Gulf coast. Census county-to-county data for 2016 to 2020 puts Hillsborough County (Tampa) first with 8.2% of Illinois movers, then Lee County (Cape Coral and Fort Myers) with 7.9%, Orange County (Orlando) with 6.8% and Pinellas with 6.4%. Broward, Palm Beach, Sarasota and Miami-Dade follow.

How much does it cost to move from Illinois to Florida?+

For a 2 to 3 bedroom home, moveBuddha's 2026 data shows $2,780 to $6,330 with full-service movers, $1,660 to $3,450 with a moving container and $810 to $1,760 for a rental truck before fuel and lodging. The quoted route averages 1,183 miles.

Moving from Illinois to Florida: taxes, home prices and where to live

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