Illinois vs Florida: take-home pay comparison
Illinois flat 4.95% state income tax against Florida's zero — Midwest-to-Florida retire comparison.
Illinois is one of the few US states with a flat (not progressive) state income tax — 4.95% on AGI above the personal exemption. Florida has no state income tax. For any salary level, the delta is essentially 4.95% × (gross − federal-standard-deduction).
At $80,000 gross the delta is ~$3,200/year in favour of Florida; at $200,000 it is ~$9,200; at $500,000 it is ~$24,000. The retire-to-Florida arbitrage and the "remote-work from FL while keeping an IL employer" pattern both lean on this comparison. FL property tax + insurance + cost of living vary substantially by area and are not modeled here.
Side-by-side at common gross levels
| Gross (annual) | United States — Illinoisnative: $ | United States — Floridanative: $ | Net delta (right − left) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 / $40,000 | $32,336 (19.2%) | $34,179 (14.6%) | $1,843 |
| $80,000 / $80,000 | $60,843 (23.9%) | $64,666 (19.2%) | $3,823 |
| $120,000 / $120,000 | $86,970 (27.5%) | $92,773 (22.7%) | $5,803 |
| $200,000 / $200,000 | $139,172 (30.4%) | $148,935 (25.5%) | $9,763 |
Frequently asked questions
- How much more take-home does $80,000 yield in Florida vs Illinois?
- At $80,000 gross on each side using 2025 rates: Illinois retains $60,843 (23.9% effective), Florida retains $64,666 (19.2% effective). Net delta: $3,823 more in Florida.
- What is the marginal-rate difference between Illinois and Florida at $80,000?
- At $80,000 gross, the next 100 of gross retains $65 in Illinois (marginal rate 34.6%) and $70 in Florida (marginal rate 29.7%). This matters for bonus, overtime, or salary-sacrifice decisions — the marginal rate applies to the next unit earned, not the average.
- At what salary level is the take-home gap biggest between Illinois and Florida?
- Across the 40k–250k single-filer sweep, the largest net delta is at $250,000 gross: Florida net is higher by $12,238 per year. Above and below this point the gap is smaller, driven by the interaction of each side's band thresholds + social-contribution caps.
- What does this Illinois vs Florida comparison include?
- Both sides use each tax authority's published 2025/26 rates: income tax, social-insurance contributions, and any statutory levies routed through payroll. The numbers are the same ones the full /us/il and /us/fl calculators produce — open either page for the full per-line breakdown.
- What does this comparison NOT model?
- Pension contributions, salary-sacrifice schemes, benefits-in-kind, region-specific surcharges (Scotland for UK, Comunidad Autónoma for ES, Bundesland for DE), and cost-of-living differences are not modeled here. The comparison is a tax-stack-only view.