Moving from Texas to Illinois
What you gain, what changes, and how to prepare
Moving from Texas to Illinois is one of the most common relocation conversations Teri has, and the pattern is always the same: what looks like a downgrade on paper (an income tax, a colder winter) turns out to be a trade most families make happily for the space, the seasons, and the pace. Here is the honest, guidebook version.
Is it cheaper to live in Illinois or Texas?
The honest answer is: it depends on where in each state, but most Texas families moving to Central Illinois find their money goes significantly further. Texas has no state income tax, that part is true. Illinois has a flat 4.95% income tax. But housing is where the real money is, and Peoria's approximate median home price of $161,000 to $175,000 (year to date 2025–2026) sits far below the $400,000-plus medians across the DFW metro.
Cost-of-living indexes bear this out: Dallas typically scores right around the national average of 100, while Peoria scores below it by most measures. State income tax is a line item, not the whole story. Run the whole budget, not just the tax rate, and most Texas movers are ahead in Peoria.
$161K–$175K
Peoria median home price range, year to date 2025–26
$412K+
Approximate Dallas–Fort Worth metro median, 2025
4.95%
Illinois flat income tax vs zero state income tax in Texas
Approximate public market and tax figures. Your situation will differ; Teri runs the real numbers for free.
What you gain by moving to Central Illinois
More house for the money
DFW metro medians have climbed past $400,000 while Peoria-area medians sit around $161,000 to $175,000 year to date (2025–2026). The same monthly payment that buys a starter home in Dallas can buy a four-bedroom home with a yard here.
Four real seasons
Texas summers run hot for months. Central Illinois gives you fall color, crisp winters, spring green, and summers that rarely hit the prolonged 100-degree stretches Texans know.
Less traffic, more time
The 20-minute commute you actually mean is a 15-minute drive here. Errands, school runs, and weekend plans all stop being a scheduling project.
A slower, neighborly pace
People in Central Illinois tend to know their neighbors, their kids' teachers, and the family at the coffee shop. It is a deliberate, grounded way of living.
What changes when you get here
Winter is real, and it is manageable
You will shovel snow a few times a year, and January can sit below freezing. Central Illinois plows well, schools rarely cancel for more than a day, and the payoff between November and April is a real autumn and a real spring. Buy a good coat, not a panic plan.
Utility bills flip seasons
Texas summers punish your electric bill with air conditioning. Illinois winters punish your gas or electric bill with heating. Budgets stay similar overall; the expensive months just move.
Property taxes stay real
Texas has famously high property taxes, and so does Illinois. The surprise for Texans is usually not the rate, it is the new structure: an income tax on top. Budget for both lines and the picture is clear.
Football loyalties will be tested
Keep the Cowboys flag on the wall. Nobody in Peoria will make you switch, though the Bears gear outnumbers it around here by a wide margin. Consider it part of the relocation negotiation.
Where do Texas families usually land?
Families coming from Texas tend to prioritize newer homes, big yards, and strong schools, and they usually land on the east side of the river. Washington has the full-service conveniences and an award-recognized high school. Morton pairs a top district reputation with a real downtown. Dunlap is the northwest-side school favorite. And East Peoria offers the easiest commute and the widest range of price points.
Retirees and remote workers often choose quieter corners like Eureka or Metamora, where the same money buys acreage and small-town character. Every move is different; that is exactly what Teri sorts out with each Texas family she works with.
Your practical moving checklist
Texas to Illinois is a long-haul move, and the logistics deserve their own plan. Two pages on this site cover the details:
Your Move Matters
Planning a Texas-to-Illinois move?
Teri has walked dozens of Texas families through this exact move. Send her your timeline, your budget, and your priorities, and get a plan before you book the truck.