Advantages & Disadvantages of Moving to Illinois

You think about moving to Illinois?

Make sure to get additional information on living costs, housing, job market, safety, climate, public infrastructure and much more so you can avoid common mistakes in this regard!

Living in Illinois – Overview

Advantages of Living in Illinois

1. Housing shortage is not a big problem in most parts of Illinois
2. Rents are still affordable for the general public
3. Easy to find a decent place to stay in Illinois
4. Property prices in Illinois are still fairly low
5. The average person is still able to live the classic American dream
6. Pretty low living costs in many parts of Illinois
7. Overall financial pressure for people living in Illinois is rather low
8. Many great things to do in nature in the Illinois region
9. You can spend lots of time outdoors
10. You can exercise in a natural manner
11. Decent air quality in many parts of Illinois
12. Illinois is not the most hectic place
13. You can enjoy warm and sunny summers in Illinois
14. Strong winters allow you to spend lots of time on winter sports
15. Real seasons make your life in Illinois just more interesting
16. Many people in Illinois are open and tolerant
17. People in Illinois are genuine and real
18. Easy to socialize in the urban parts of Illinois
19. You can really count on your friends in Illinois
20. You can live a pretty original life in Illinois
21. Illinois may be an interesting state to live self-sufficient
22. Traffic is not a big problem in most parts of Illinois
23. Finding a parking lot is pretty easy outside the big cities
24. Decent education in the big cities of Illinois
25. Overall supply of material goods is pretty decent in most regions of Illinois
26. Many people in Illinois have decent internet connections
27. Easy to get to the main cities of Illinois
28. Illinois is a rather pet-friendly state
29. Illinois is a pretty bike-friendly state
30. Illinois may be an interesting place to retire
31. Decent nightlife in the big cities of Illinois
32. Illinois is a pretty safe state apart from the big cities
33. Decent income level in Illinois
34. You can build a strong business network in the urban parts of Illinois
35. Highly-qualified people have a rather easy time finding a job in Illinois
36. Many recreational spaces in Illinois
37. You can teach your kids a lot about nature
38. Illinois may still be underrated

Housing shortage is not a big problem in most parts of Illinois

One advantage of living in Illinois is that housing shortage is not a big problem yet. In fact, there are more than enough housing options and competition in the housing market is rather low in most regions outside of the big cities so you don’t have to worry about getting evicted since even in case you do, chances are you will find a new place to stay rather quickly.

Rents are still affordable for the general public

You should also know that rents in Illinois are still affordable for the average person and this means that people in Illinois don’t have to spend as much money on housing as people moving to San José or other much more expensive regions and may have more disposable income left to spend on other important things.

Easy to find a decent place to stay in Illinois

Since competition in the Illinois housing market is rather low, you will also find a nice and affordable place to stay within a reasonable period of time while this would often take you much longer in case you want to move to Los Angeles or other regions where housing shortage is a much bigger deal.

Property prices in Illinois are still fairly low

Another upside to living in Illinois is that property prices are still pretty low in most regions and this gives you the chance of buying a home at a reasonable price without having to financially overcommit yourself as many people in other regions out there often have to do.

The average person is still able to live the classic American dream

Since housing costs are still pretty low, many people in Illinois can still live the classic American dream with owning a nice home, a fancy car and so on without having to take on excessive amounts of debt and even people with only an average income can live rather fancy lifestyles in this region while people living in Seattle or other fancy places often need much more money to live the same lifestyle.

Pretty low living costs in many parts of Illinois

You should also know that life in Illinois is rather cheap and living costs are pretty low compared to many other fancier and more popular regions in the US and this means that you don’t have to spend as much on drinks and various other things of life and may be able to afford much more for the same budget compared to people living in more expensive regions.

Overall financial pressure for people living in Illinois is rather low

Thanks to rather low living and housing costs, also overall financial pressure for people living in Illinois is rather limited and people in this region may therefore have an easier time enjoying their lives compared to people living in Washington D.C. or other much more expensive places where people have to worry about financial problems much more on average.

Many great things to do in nature in the Illinois region

Another benefit of living in Illinois is that you will find many beautiful lakes, forests and rivers and you can therefore go fishing, hiking, swimming, rock climbing and do many other things in nature which can not only be a lot of fun but may also help you relax from your stressful life quite a bit.

You can spend lots of time outdoors

Since you can do many things in nature, you also have the incentive of spending lots of time outdoors and this can be great since you can get lots of fresh air and oxygen which may help your body and your brain work in the best possible manner.

You can exercise in a natural manner

Since you can spend lots of time on nature activities, you can also exercise in a completely natural manner and can burn lots of calories while many people living in other states where they don’t have this luxury may just have to go to the gym after work to stay in shape.

Decent air quality in many parts of Illinois

You should also know that you will find pretty good air quality in most rural regions of Illinois and this can be really beneficial for your overall health since you may be less likely to suffer from serious health conditions compared to people living in more polluted regions in the long run.

Illinois is not the most hectic place

You should also know that Illinois is a rather relaxed state where people are often not as career-focused as in other regions of the US and this means that people often take more time to get into conversations with you and you may therefore have an easier time getting in touch with people compared to regions where people just rush from one meeting to the other.

You can enjoy warm and sunny summers in Illinois

Another upside to moving to Illinois is that you can also enjoy warm and sunny summers in this region so you can get tanned and can just have a great time spending your leisure outdoors.

Strong winters allow you to spend lots of time on winter sports

Not only can you experience great summers, but you will also have pretty snowy winters and while some people don’t like cold weather, it still gives you the opportunity to do lots of winter sports so you can also stay fit in winter in a pretty efficient manner.

Real seasons make your life in Illinois just more interesting

Since you can enjoy warm summers and pretty cool winters, you can also experience real seasons in Illinois and this may make your life just more interesting compared to people living in Austin or other regions where it is warm for almost the entire year.

Many people in Illinois are open and tolerant

You should also know that Illinois is a pretty tolerant state and you will be welcome no matter where you come from and can just have a great time with people from all over the US and even the world, especially in the urban parts of Illinois.

People in Illinois are genuine and real

Since many people in Illinois are genuine and real, you also really learn to trust these people and in case you need assistance and support during difficult periods of your life, you can be pretty sure that your friends have an open ear for you and help you overcome those dark times in your life.

Easy to socialize in the urban parts of Illinois

Since there are many locations to hang out and to meet new people in the urban parts of Illinois, chances are that you will be able to make many new social connections rather quickly and don’t have to worry about getting socially isolated in the long run.

You can really count on your friends in Illinois

Since people in Illinois are usually pretty reliable, you can also really count on your loved ones in Illinois and in case they promise you something, chances are that they will really deliver while people in many other regions where social life is often much shallower may not be as reliable and trustworthy.

You can live a pretty original life in Illinois

Living in Illinois can also be great since you can just buy a home in the rural parts of this state and can live a pretty original lifestyle in line with natural forces as our ancestors did hundreds of years ago while you can still use our modern technologies to make your life a little bit more convenient.

Illinois may be an interesting state to live self-sufficient

Thanks to rather low property prices, you may also be able to buy a piece of land at a rather low price and may be able to grow your own crops and raise your own cattle so you may be able to become independent from classical stores in the long run.

Traffic is not a big problem in most parts of Illinois

Apart from the big cities, traffic is also not a big problem in most parts of Illinois and this means you can get around by car in a pretty efficient manner while people living in NYC or other more congested places often get stuck in traffic jams and therefore lose lots of time in traffic in general.

Finding a parking lot is pretty easy outside the big cities

Since traffic is not a problem in most parts of Illinois, you will also have a rather easy time finding a parking lot in this region and may not have to spend as much time and money on it as many other people out there have to do.

Decent education in the big cities of Illinois

As long as you move to the big cities of Illinois, you may also find pretty decent schools and colleges and can make sure that your kids get solid education so they will have decent chances to succeed in life later on.

Overall supply of material goods is pretty decent in most regions of Illinois

Another advantage of moving to Illinois is that you will also never run out of important things of daily life since overall supply of material goods is pretty decent in most parts of this state and you will also find most things you need pretty close to your home as long as you live in the urban parts of Illinois.

Many people in Illinois have decent internet connections

You should also know that internet connections are pretty decent in most parts of Illinois and this helps you stay connected to the world and you can also make video calls or engage on social media so you can stay in touch with your loved ones all over the planet.

Easy to get to the main cities of Illinois

Since you will find big airports in Chicago or other major cities, you will also have a rather easy time traveling to various places of our planet in an efficient manner without having to waste lots of time on layovers.

Illinois is a rather pet-friendly state

You should also keep in mind that Illinois is a pretty pet-friendly state and if you love to keep pets, you will be able to meet many like-minded people on various occasions of daily life and may also have more than enough to talk about so you can have interesting conversations and can also socialize with other people in a pretty natural manner.

Illinois is a pretty bike-friendly state

Compared to many other regions in the US, Illinois is also a rather bicycle-friendly place and you will therefore be able to drive many short distances by bicycle instead of using your car and this can be great for your finances and also for our environment in the long run since you can reduce your greenhouse gas emissions at least to a certain extent.

Illinois may be an interesting place to retire

Since there are many free things to do in nature in the Illinois region, it can also be a solid place to retire since pensioners can spend lots of time on nature activities and even retirees with rather low pensions may be able to live a solid lifestyle in many parts of this state.

Decent nightlife in the big cities of Illinois

If you want to move to Chicago or other big cities in Illinois, you will also find many decent bars and clubs and can party until the early morning and chances are you will not get fed up with nightlife in this region anytime soon.

Illinois is a pretty safe state apart from the big cities

While Chicago has to deal with high crime rates, many other regions in Illinois have pretty low crime rates and if you want to spend your life in a rural region, chances are you will not have to worry about those issues much and can live your life in a rather peaceful atmosphere.

Decent income level in Illinois

You should also know that overall income level in Illinois is pretty decent and as long as you have solid education, you can make enough money to live a decent lifestyle in this region since you can make good money while many things of daily life are still rather cheap.

You can build a strong business network in the urban parts of Illinois

If you move to the big cities of Illinois, you will also be able to meet many smart and ambitious people and may also be able to build a strong business network rather quickly which may help you climb the corporate ladder rather quickly.

Highly-qualified people have a rather easy time finding a job in Illinois

Especially if you have skills urgently needed in the job market right now, you will find more than enough companies to work for and highly-qualified people can make pretty good money in the urban parts of Illinois.

Many recreational spaces in Illinois

You can not only spend lots of time in nature but you will also find many parks and other green spaces in the big cities of Illinois and this can help you relax and unplug from your stressful life so you can reload your batteries for the stressful times yet to come.

You can teach your kids a lot about nature

Since there are many rural regions and beautiful nature in Illinois, you will also be able to do many nature activities with your kids and this can be great since you can teach your kids quite a lot about nature and why it is important to protect our environment as best as possible so your kids can become responsible adults and will be eager to make a positive contribution for the next generations.

Illinois may still be underrated

Since housing and living costs are still rather low and you can still do many nice things in nature, Illinois may be considered underrated right now and by moving to Illinois, you may be able to enjoy many nice things at a pretty reasonable price.

Now that you know the reasons for moving to Illinois, we also have to talk about the drawbacks of living in Illinois so you can better decide whether you still want to move to Illinois or rather want to spend your life in Arkansas or in a different region instead.

Disadvantages of Living in Illinois

1. Winters in Illinois may be too cold for many people out there
2. Illinois is not located at the coast
3. Public transport is not great in many rural parts of Illinois
4. You may need a car to get around in Illinois in an efficient manner
5. You may have a hard time finding good doctors and hospitals in rural regions
6. Illinois becomes increasingly crowded
7. Nature in Illinois becomes increasingly polluted
8. Natural disasters may hit you in Illinois sooner or later
9. Water scarcity may become a serious problem due to climate change
10. Social problems are about to get worse in many urban parts of Illinois
11. Homelessness is a big problem in many parts of Illinois
12. Pretty high crime rates in the biggest cities of Illinois
13. Not many great sports teams outside of the big cities of Illinois
14. Entertainment options are rather limited in the rural parts of Illinois
15. Nightlife is not great in many parts of Illinois
16. Illinois may not be a great place for students
17. Many young people consider leaving Illinois
18. Illinois is not the most popular state in the US
19. You will have a hard time meeting many tourists in Illinois
20. You may get bored with your lifestyle in Illinois sooner or later
21. You may miss big city life in most regions of Illinois
22. Not many great shopping opportunities in Illinois
23. Cultural diversity is rather limited in the rural parts of Illinois
24. You may meet snakes and other unpleasant animals in Illinois
25. Rather high unemployment rate in Illinois
26. Many low-qualified people have a hard time finding decent jobs
27. Illinois is not the most exciting state
28. Huge discrepancy between rural and urban regions
29. Some people in rural parts of Illinois are still rather conservative
30. Illinois may be too quiet for you
31. You may have a hard time finding good education in many rural parts of Illinois
32. Hard to bring and pick up your kids from school in rural parts of Illinois
33. Rather unclear future for the state of Illinois

Winters in Illinois may be too cold for many people out there

One downside to living in Illinois is that winters are pretty cold in this region and if you are the kind of person who doesn’t like cold weather at all, chances are you will be better off moving to El Paso or other regions where it is warm all year long.

Illinois is not located at the coast

You should also keep in mind that Illinois doesn’t have a coastline and while many other people may be able to go surfing or just relax at the beach on a regular basis, you will just not have this luxury as a resident in Illinois unless you travel to other states and drive quite long distances.

Public transport is not great in many rural parts of Illinois

In many regions of Illinois, also public transport is pretty poor and this means that you will not be able to get around by bus or train in an efficient manner and may have to rely on other transportation options.

You may need a car to get around in Illinois in an efficient manner

Due to rather poor public transport, you may also urgently need a car to get around in the rural parts of Illinois and this can be pretty problematic for people who are no longer able to drive anymore since those people often get stuck and will no longer be mobile anymore.

You may have a hard time finding good doctors and hospitals in rural regions

Another problem with living in Illinois is that you may also have a hard time finding good medical treatment in the rural parts of Illinois within a reasonable period of time and in case you suffer from a rather exotic health condition, you may have to drive long hours to find an expert who will be able to treat your condition in a proper manner.

Illinois becomes increasingly crowded

You should also know that Illinois becomes increasingly popular all over the US and this also leads to a state where many people consider moving to Illinois and the state may therefore become more crowded and you may have less public space for yourself in the future.

Nature in Illinois becomes increasingly polluted

You should also know that nature in Illinois becomes increasingly polluted due to many irresponsible people disposing of their trash in nature reserves and in case this trend continues, chances are that overall quality of life will decrease in many regions of Illinois in the long run.

Natural disasters may hit you in Illinois sooner or later

Another disadvantage of living in Illinois is that natural disasters may become more common in the future and if you are really unlucky, you may not even lose your home but even your life due to one of those extreme events.

Water scarcity may become a serious problem due to climate change

You should also know that groundwater levels are already pretty low in many parts of Illinois and due to climate change, the region may run out of water sooner or later which would greatly decrease overall quality of life and many people would leave the state.

Social problems are about to get worse in many urban parts of Illinois

You should also know that social inequality is a big problem in Chicago and many other parts of Illinois and in case those problems get worse, this may lead to a state where people no longer feel safe when they spend time outdoors and social cohesion may deteriorate in general.

Homelessness is a big problem in many parts of Illinois

You should also know that homelessness becomes a big problem in many urban regions of Illinois and not only is this a pretty unpleasant picture but it will likely lead to many other social issues sooner or later.

Pretty high crime rates in the biggest cities of Illinois

While living in the rural parts of Illinois is often pretty safe, Chicago and other big cities often have to deal with high crime rates and due to increasing levels of social inequality, also crime rates will likely even further which may greatly lower your overall quality of life since you may just no longer feel safe in those regions.

Not many great sports teams outside of the big cities of Illinois

Another downside to moving to Illinois is that there are also not many great sports teams outside the big cities and in case you are a big sports fan who wants to watch games live on a regular basis, you may be better off moving to other parts of the state where you will be able to support more really great sports teams.

Entertainment options are rather limited in the rural parts of Illinois

While you will get lots of entertainment in the big metropolitan regions of Illinois, entertainment options are still rather limited in the rural parts and you may therefore have a hard time getting action and may not find what you are looking for in smaller towns of Illinois.

Nightlife is not great in many parts of Illinois

You should also not expect to find great nightlife in the rural parts of Illinois. Instead, the selection of bars and clubs will be rather limited in most parts of Illinois and in case you are a party person, you will be better off moving to the big cities of Illinois or moving to Las Vegas or other more vibrant cities.

Illinois may not be a great place for students

Also in case you are a student and plan to move to a different region, Illinois may not be your favorite state since you may have a hard time finding really good education outside the big cities and your student life may also not be as great as student life in Los Angeles or other places in the US.

Many young people consider leaving Illinois

Since there are not as many interesting things to do for young people as in many other states in many parts of Illinois, many young people also think about leaving this region and you may therefore end up with only the older generation and may also get bored as a young person in this region.

Illinois is not the most popular state in the US

You should also keep in mind that while Illinois has become more popular over the past decades, it is still not the most popular region of the US and many of your loved ones may not understand your decision of moving to Illinois and you may therefore have to explain yourself quite a lot in this regard.

You will have a hard time meeting many tourists in Illinois

Also in case you want to meet many people from all over the world, you may have a hard time doing so in many parts of Illinois since it is just not the most popular place among people from different countries and you may therefore miss out on many interesting conservations you might have been able to have in other more popular and touristic regions.

You may get bored with your lifestyle in Illinois sooner or later

Another problem with moving to Illinois is that since entertainment options are rather limited in many rural regions, you may also get bored with your life in Illinois sooner or later and may want to move to regions where you just get more action.

You may miss big city life in most regions of Illinois

If you don’t want to move to Chicago, moving to Illinois also doesn’t make sense if you love big city life since there are just not many big cities and you may miss out on many amenities you may be used to from other big cities if you move to rather rural parts of Illinois.

Not many great shopping opportunities in Illinois

Another disadvantage of moving to Illinois is that you will also not find many great shopping opportunities outside the biggest cities and in case you are a shopping victim, you may be better off moving to states where fashion plays a much bigger role.

Cultural diversity is rather limited in the rural parts of Illinois

You should also be aware of the fact that cultural diversity may also be rather limited in the rural parts of Illinois and you may therefore not be able to meet as many interesting people and to explore as many different ways of life as you might have wanted.

You may meet snakes and other unpleasant animals in Illinois

If you live in rural regions of Illinois, chances are that you will also be confronted with snakes and other unpleasant creatures sooner or later and in case you get bitten, you may suffer from serious health issues and may even lose your life if you are really unlucky.

Rather high unemployment rate in Illinois

You should also know that unemployment rates are pretty high in many parts of Illinois and if you are not careful, you may end up in a region where there are just not many jobs for you and your overall career prospects may be rather poor due to that.

Many low-qualified people have a hard time finding decent jobs

You should be especially careful in case you have a rather low education level since you would have a pretty hard time finding and keeping solid jobs in the Illinois region.

Illinois is not the most exciting state

In general, there are just not as many exciting things to do in Illinois compared to many other states in the US and if you need to have action 24/7, chances are you will not get happy with your life in Illinois in the long run and may move to more exciting places sooner or later.

Huge discrepancy between rural and urban regions

You should also know that city and village life are pretty different in Illinois and you should therefore try both options for a while so you can really figure out what you like more and can avoid getting stuck in the wrong lifestyle as many people in Illinois often do due to a lack of experience.

Some people in rural parts of Illinois are still rather conservative

You should also keep in mind that many people in the rural parts of Illinois are still pretty traditional and conservative and may just not respect you in case you want to live a lifestyle completely different from what the majority of the population does.

Illinois may be too quiet for you

Since you will not find many big cities in Illinois, it is also a rather quiet state and in case you need something to do every minute of your life, you may not get happy in Illinois in the long run since you may not be able to really enjoy the rather quiet atmosphere in most parts of Illinois.

You may have a hard time finding good education in many rural parts of Illinois

While you might find good education in the urban parts of Illinois, this may be much harder in smaller towns and villages where you will often have a hard time finding solid schools and colleges.

Hard to bring and pick up your kids from school in rural parts of Illinois

Since there are not many great schools in the rural parts of Illinois, you may also have to drive quite a long time to bring and pick your kids up from school and you may therefore rather want to rely on homeschooling to make your life much more efficient instead.

Rather unclear future for the state of Illinois

Due to climate change and the many social problems big cities in Illinois have to deal with, overall future outlook for the state of Illinois is rather unclear and if you don’t believe in a bright future for Illinois, it may just not make sense to move to Illinois in the first place.

Top 10 Moving To Illinois Pros & Cons – Summary List

Is Illinois A Good Place To Live?

While Illinois can be a great place to live since housing and living costs are pretty low and you can spend lots of time in beautiful nature, you should also know that Illinois is not the most exciting state and overall public infrastructure is not great in many regions.

In the end, it is on you to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of moving to Illinois carefully so you can make the best possible decision in this regard according to your individual circumstances.

Most Popular Cities To Live In Illinois – Comparison

Alternative States To Live

If you no longer want to move to Illinois, you may also want to have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Delaware

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Florida

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Idaho

Sources

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/IL

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.