Illinois, a midwestern state with a population of 12.72 million, is distinguished by wetland, farmland, rolling hills, and forests.
Illinois is nicknamed “the Prairie State,” due to the fact that much of the state was previously covered in prairie grass.
But today, it is considered to be one of the wealthier states in the US with a rich history, architectural masterpieces, beautiful landscapes, and a bustling economy.
It holds many advantages for those who choose to call this state their home.
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Pros of Living in Illinois
1. Excellent job opportunities
Illinois has the fifth-largest GDP in the United States.
In addition, there are over 30 Fortune 500 companies that operate out of Illinois.
This is due to the fact that Illinois has such a developed infrastructure, and an educated workforce, it is centrally located and has thriving technology.
As a result, there is a constant recruitment drive and chances are very good that you will find employment quickly in this state.
Some of the top industries in Illinois include:
- Agriculture
- Sports
- Advanced Manufacturing
- Biotechnology
- Education
- Energy
- Business Services
In addition, the clean energy sector is booming in this state and constantly has a high demand for suitably qualified candidates.
Although the housing prices are high, which drives up the cost of living, the salaries are matched, which means that qualified candidates with experience should have no problem landing a good job.
2. Great food
Where do we even start with this?
Illinois is culturally diverse and, with that, presents a culturally diverse menu.
The Chicago deep-dish pizza, the Chicago-style hot dog, the Italian Beef Sandwich, Poutine, and Frontera Grill, are just some of the delicacies that you must savor when visiting this state.
If you are someone that enjoys good food, great culture, and an atmosphere of family, this may just be the ideal state for you.
There are few other places in the US that offer the culinary variety that this state does.
3. Things to do and places to see
As previously mentioned, Illinois is marked by rolling hills, farmland, forests, and wetland.
If you love the outdoors, camping, hiking, and mountain biking, then this is the state you may want to consider calling your home.
Illinois offers something for everyone.
From majestic state parks, exciting museums, and amazing attractions, to other wonderful attractions, Illinois offers a variety of activities and things to do that will cater to the entire family.
It is without a doubt worth the while to move to this wonderful state.
4. It’s an architectural wonderland
If you have ever been to the City of Chicago, you will truly understand the magnificence of the architecture of this city and this state.
The buildings have a unique design that you will not find in many other places.
There are a plethora of sky-scrapes and beautiful masterpieces, such as the Willis Tower, Illinois State Capitol, Carbide & Carbon Building, Marina City towers, and the Tribune Tower that is not to be missed.
One of the main reasons that this state is known for its architecture is because Chicago has been the center for architectural innovation and experimentation.
In addition, the architectural styles of Chicago include:
- Graystones
- Chicago Bungalows
- Skyscrapers
- Polish Cathedrals
5. Hospitality
One of the first things you will get used to in Illinois is Mid-west hospitality.
Even in bigger cities like Chicago, most people become familiar with the small-town mentality of the people living there.
People who live in this state have a very friendly disposition and are extremely kind and helpful.
Unlike cities like New York and Los Angelos where you may find that the residents are quite as welcoming, kind, or accommodating, you will appreciate the hospitality that this state has to offer.
You will quickly feel at home and make new friends in Illinois.
This is one of the major attractions that lure people to this state.
Illinois has a culture of accepting everyone and you will find that all the cultures that call this state their home get along very well.
You may even find yourself melting at the Mid-west charm and hospitality.
Cons of Living in Illinois
1. Crime in Illinois
According to Safewise.com, Illinois reported 4.3 incidents per 1,000 residents for the year 2022.
The national average for the US is 4.0 incidents per 1,000 residents.
The report further explains that the state of Illinois has reported a year-on-year increase in crime for the past two years and has reported higher levels of crime than the national average for the past three years.
The property crime rate in Illinois is reported to be 15.6 incidents per 1,000 residents.
In addition, the state of Illinois is one of three that has reported a higher violent crime rate than the national average and a lower property crime rate than the national average.
USAToday reported that the state of Illinois had the fourth highest murder rate in the US for the year 2018.
It is estimated that crime in the US is in direct correlation to economic conditions and that Illinois has the 22nd lowest poverty rate in the US.
It may not be the most dangerous state in the US but it does experience an above-average high crime rate in many urban areas.
In terms of retirement or raising a family, you may want to consider your options carefully before you start packing your bags and moving to this state.
2. High tax rate
According to Taxfoundation.com the state of Illinois has the following tax rates:
- 4.95% personal income tax
- 9.5% corporate income tax rate
- 6.25 state sales tax rate
- 4.75% max local sales tax rate
- 8.81% average combined state and local sales tax rate
These tax rates will not qualify the state to be in the 10 worst positions in the US, but do rank in the 36th overall position.
Furthermore, Illinoispolicy.org states that the state levies the highest local and state tax rates on its residents.
More than 15% of each household income in the state of Illinois is paid towards taxes.
That means that the tax burden in this state is 39% higher than the national average.
Furthermore, the report reveals that the state of Illinois levies the second-highest property tax and gas taxes on its residents, which may be something to take into consideration when thinking about moving here.
3. Weather conditions
The State Climatologists Office of Illinois reports that the typical climate in Illinois is continental with cold winters, warm summers, and occasional shifts in wind direction, humidity, cloudiness, and temperature.
If this were the only concern, then Illinois would be a very nice place to live with all four seasons being present.
However, this is not the only matter to take into consideration in terms of climate.
The state of Illinois is known for several extreme weather conditions including thunderstorms, large hail, damaging winds, floods and flash floods, tornadoes, extreme heat waves, as well as lighting.
These conditions have the ability to cause serious harm to people and damage to property.
Crisisequipped.com reports that during the period of 1953 and 2019, Illinois reported a total of 61 major disasters.
The majority of these disasters included floods and severe storms.
The site further explains that Illinois experiences an average of 50 thunderstorms each year and that lightning death is some of the highest in Illinois as compared to the rest of the United States.
Furthermore, an independent report revealed that during the period between 2000 and 2018, flood events caused $3 billion in property damage, and during this same period, Illinois experienced 1537 flood events, or alternatively, 1.5 floods per week.
4. Bad traffic
Chicago.curbed.com reports that traffic in Chicago is the second-worst in the nation in 2019.
This problem is not only affecting the city of Chicago but the whole state of Illinois.
Two of the major reasons for the congested traffic are bottlenecks as the traffic merges with the main highways, as well as economic growth.
Illinois is home to many Fortune 500 companies, many of which are tech companies.
These companies are seeing major growth trajectories, which means that employment opportunities in the state are very good.
As a result, there is a major influx into the big cities resulting in more traffic on the roads.
The highways are not designed to handle the large influx of residents from other states and hence, you will find that most of the roads in this state are congested, regardless of the day or time.
5. Expensive housing
While the cost of living in Illinois is lower than the national average, the biggest driver of this cost is the price of purchasing a home or even renting one.
Take Chicago, for example, property prices in Chicago are approximately 56% higher than the national average.
Furthermore, the average price for a property in Chicago is $355K and in order to live comfortably in this city, an individual will need to earn above $50,000 per year.
In addition, the average rental for an apartment in Chicago is $2,080.
Of course, there are several factors that may affect the property and rental prices, including location, size, as well as quality.
Overall, living in this state can be pretty costly due to the high prices for purchasing a home or renting one.
Pros and Cons of Living in Illinois – Summary Table
| Pros of Living in Illinois | Cons of Living in Illinois |
|---|---|
| 1. Excellent job opportunities | 1. Crime in Illinois |
| 2. Great food | 2. High tax rate |
| 3. Things to do and places to see | 3. Weather conditions |
| 4. It's an architectural wonderland | 4. Bad traffic |
| 5. Hospitality | 5. Expensive housing |
Illinois Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Illinois Safety Review
Safety Index:
- OVERALL RISK: MEDIUM
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: MEDIUM
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: MEDIUM
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: LOW
- MUGGING RISK: HIGH
- TERRORISM RISK: MEDIUM
- SCAMS RISK: MEDIUM
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Illinois an at-will state?
Yes.
Employment contracts in Illinois are considered by law to be “employment-at-will”, which means that either the employer or the employee can choose to terminate the employment contract at any point for any reason.
What is the most common crime in Illinois?
Property crime is the most common crime in this state.
During the 2019 period, 233,984 property crimes were reported in this state.
What is the most dangerous place in Illinois?
Chicago is considered to be the most dangerous city in Illinois.
During the 2021 period, 25,532 cases of violent crimes were reported.
Is Chicago safe at night?
For the most part, it is safe to walk in Chicago at night.
However, never walk alone and avoid commonly known dangerous areas.
Always stick to well lit areas.
Is Chinatown Chicago safe?
Yes.
In comparison to other areas in the city, Chinatown is considered to be one of the safer areas.
Would love to see articles that focus on the entire state not the ‘Illinois = Chicago’ tired versions. Or even stats that separate Chicago from Downstate.
Same here was hoping to see more outskirts from Chicago
I know what you mean, Donna L. Not all spots in Chi are of hazard and not all suburbs are of hazard. But need more focus on all the cons of southern part of state. I would feel safer in many Chi places a loooot quicker than downstate. It is even safer to live racially in Chi than outside of Chi ( though Beecher is the one place to watch it). In Southern IL, it is like the south here, including many places where many Blacks cannot live or visit. I cannot speak for Latino or Asians as there are very far few in between. I never once had to think about my skin during my time in Chi.
Can also talk Champaign-Urbana and pros and cons there, and every other part of the state.
I once saw a list of 10 last year about crime, and Chicago was not on it. Mt. Vernon was at the top of the list, a southern IL town. There are many towns here that have bad meth population. Southern part of state has no urban whatsoever and they want to believe they are better than city folks. In some ways not better or worse, just different. In other ways, yes some of their culture is worse, including not being as open minded as city folks, especially on Christian morality level. I kept the door open to move to a decent spot in Chi if meant to be, if not urban side, then rural side, where it it is under 20 minutes from urban side if not right next door to urban. I am sure there are many small rural town crimes that are higher than Chi big or small urban towns and even rural side of Chi. No one wants to talk about it, including media. Though this article is about IL alone, Chi is not the worst crime central. You got St. Louis, Detroit, NYC, Jackson MS, to name a few.
Danville is worst crime currently, 2023 but Peoria and Decatur not far behind now, mainly due to large companies leaving Illinois also.Was over at Springfield recently and wow SAD. only wealthy or touristy areas safe or clean, that’s our Capital City!
You would have to be out of your mind if you wanted to move here with your family. Natural disasters aren’t as big of a problem as the snow is. Winter seems to last for about half the year with things getting cold in November and only warming up end of March beginning of April. This makes life very depressing. On top of that, it’s expensive as heck. Job opportunities might be the only reason to move here (Chicago/Chicago suburbs) but again your income will be taxed and much of it will go to the very expensive cost of living. If you plan on moving here save yourself the trouble of looking and if you’re like me and live here, get out while you still can.
Did you notice NO MENTION WAS MADE OF THE SCHOOLS IN ILLINOIS. Although there are well to do communities with great schools, the rest of the state struggles with dismal, even deplorable statistics regarding the quality of teaching and the lack of forward progress with students ranking amongst the other 50 states. Illinois is near the bottom and far too many parents are satisfied that their children have competency levels at 20% or lower for basic skills. (It seems that some parents have no idea what their kids are doing in school!” The kids are pushed through and can’t add, subtract, make proper change, have very little manners, while they cop the attitude that older generations ”OWE THEM” everything for basically nothing. IT’s hard to believe that 80% and higher # of families “qualify” for free schools or breakfast and lunches, free phones, while their kids are wearing designer clothes and shoes, parents are driving high priced cars etc etc, YET – many seniors and deserved low income families struggle to get by with incomes just over the poverty level and don’t qualify. Yes the Chicagoland area is a huge factor when determining crime stats, poverty etc. however, like others have stated we all DO NOT LIVE IN THE “STATE OF CHICAGO” as so many Chicagoans like to believe. If you do articles about the PROS AND CONS OF “ILLINOIS” make sure you use stats from the entire state and perhaps out of staters may find Illinois a good place to live. Too many people have left the state due to higher taxes and higher crime rates in very local areas. Criminals from Chicago are venturing further and further into the suburbs making life very scary now. The majority of ILLINOISANS DO NOT WANT ILLEGAL MIGRANTS FILTERING INTO THEIR CITIES AND AREAS SURROUNDING THEM. We can barely make ends meet now from day to day. The thought of illegals that have crossed our borders getting EVERYTHING FOR FREE while some people have had to stop taking or reduced the amount of their life saving drugs because they are NOT able to afford the necessary drugs and other LIFE’s necessities IS EXTREMELY DISTURBING AND A MAIN REASON FOR THE HUGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE LEAVING ILLINOIS FOR CHEAPER AND SAFER AREAS.