Life in Illinois

Life in Illinois: What You Need to Know

When considering a move to another state, it’s important to do all of your due research to figure out what your prospective state has to offer, how it would mesh with your lifestyle, and generally just how you think you’d like the quality of life and cost of living it offers.

When researching Illinois as your new possible home, you might get overwhelmed with everything going on in this state, and might not even know where to start to look for an area that’s specifically suited to you.

So what’s living in Illinois like? Let us run you through everything this great state has to offer so that you can not only figure out if Illinois is right for you but to aid you in scoping out prospective areas to call home.

Living in Illinois

Illinois is an incredibly large state, home to the great city of Chicago, the location of the tallest building in America, and is even the site of the first McDonald’s! But outside of fun facts or things, you might know about the state already, what is life in Illinois really like? What is Illinois known for? Let’s run you through everything this state has to offer you.

Illinois Residential Hotspots

Though Chicago is undoubtedly the most well-known city in Illinois, there are a ton of amazing, affordable places to live in Illinois that can even rival the quality of life you’ll find in our largest city. Just outside of Chicago, even, you’ll find several amazing suburbs that bring you a more relaxed and laid-back lifestyle compared to the hustle and bustle of downtown, while still allowing you to have access to everything central Chicago has to offer.

Best Chicago Suburbs

A couple of these suburbs are Clarendon Hills, Long Grove, and Buffalo Grove. These areas offer great schools, great quality of life, and plenty to do, and might just be some of the best places to live in Illinois for families. Full of amazing restaurants, coffee shops, and beautiful parks, these areas, there’s no question as to why most people here own their homes – they don’t want to leave!

Best Place to Retire in Illinois

Other Illinois hotspots for either raising families, or just taking a load off and enjoying your time taking in beautiful parks or eating good food, including Aledo, Riverwoods, and Leland Grove. These areas are also known as some of the best places to retire in Illinois, due to their more rural, calm feel, access to good quality schools, and amazing restaurants, shops, and places to enjoy time with others.

Best Cities in Illinois

If you prefer the hustle and bustle of city life over the wide-open areas of the suburbs, Illinois also has a ton to offer you.

We of course have Chicago, which is a large, sprawling city with access to great public transportation, beautiful beaches along Lake Michigan, amazing food, and a lively nightlife and music scene. In Chicago, you’ll never run out of things to do.

If you’re not quite sure you’re ready for what Chicago has to offer yet, Illinois also showcases a number of other amazing cities that all bring a little something different to the table. Peoria, Urbana, and Rockford are just a few of them. These cities offer the same city lifestyle many looks for, but on a bit of a smaller scale than Chicago. Plus, with the amazing views of the Illinois River from downtown Peoria, the art scene of Urbana, or the rich cultural outlets in Rockford, you can’t go wrong.

What’s the Cost of Living in Illinois?

If you’re intrigued by everything Illinois’ amazing areas have to offer, but maybe now are wondering, ‘How expensive is Illinois?”, you’re in luck: in comparison to many other areas in the United States, the cost of living in Illinois is cheaper than the national average, while also offering more value for your money.

Illinois offers high salaries for those in management, law, business, finance, computer science, and engineering, and has lower housing prices than the national average. The average cost of living in Illinois, for context, ranks 93.4 on the country’s average scale out of 100, which makes it less expensive and a better value than most states when it comes to housing, everyday groceries, and higher salaries.

Though the state does have high taxes, it offers large living spaces for better value, rich cultural history, and access to arts and entertainment all around, plus a booming job market, all for less than many US states.

Pros and Cons of Living in Illinois

So now that you’ve heard us go on and on about the benefits of living in Illinois, let’s go over living in Illinois’ pros and cons.

Pros of Living in Illinois:

  • Low cost of living
  • Strong economy
  • Large job market
  • High average salary
  • Great for sports fans
  • Great food, arts & entertainment state-wide
  • Cultural significance

Cons of Living in Illinois:

  • Very cold winters
  • Higher-than-average crime rate
  • High taxes
  • High job competition

So is Illinois a good state to live in? Of course! Despite its higher-than-average taxes and cold winters, Illinois residents love where they live and the value they receive for their money here. With access to the Illinois suburbs and their top-tier schooling and lifestyle, or the amazing cities the state has to offer, not to mention Chicago’s quality of life versus that of other major cities in the United States, Illinois definitely has something for anyone.

Overall, like any state, Illinois has its own set of drawbacks, but the pros definitely outweigh the cons. Illinois is an amazing state full of amazing arts, cultural, and entertainment scenes, great food, and amazing and affordable places to live. If this all sounds right up your alley, Illinois might just be the state for you.

Planning a move from or to Illinois in the future? Make sure to use the affordable movers who are not only familiar with the state and move in and around it but also those who are committed to providing you with the best possible moving experience. Contact Reebie Allied today to learn more about what we can do for you and your move, or click here to receive a free quote!