USA Cost of Living Compare US cities and states with official data

Illinois vs Texas: cost of living compared

Statewide price levels and incomes from BEA (2024); gas prices from EIA (weekly).

Is it cheaper to live in Illinois or Texas?

  • Overall, Texas is 2.9% less expensive than Illinois (BEA, 2024).
  • To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in Illinois works out to about $72,800 in Texas, before taxes.
  • Most of the difference is everyday costs rather than housing: goods are 5.5% lower and other services 3.1% lower in Texas, while housing is 2.7% higher.
  • After adjusting for local prices, personal income per person is $58,219 in Texas and $60,333 in Illinois (3.5% lower in Texas; BEA, 2024, in 2017 dollars).
  • Inside each state, metro price levels run from 83.8 in Eagle Pass, TX to 103.1 in Dallas, TX (Texas) and from 88.4 in Decatur, IL to 103.6 in Chicago, IL (Illinois), US = 100.
  • The gap has widened since 2019, when Texas was 1.0% less expensive than Illinois.

derived Calculated from BEA Regional Price Parities and real personal income by state. Statewide averages mix cities and rural areas; taxes are not included. How we calculate.

Try your own salary

18% matches BEA's average basket. Set your own share if housing takes more or less of your budget.

Category by category

Both states against the US average (100).

Everyday costs, not housing, drive the gap between Illinois and Texas

Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.

  • Illinois
  • Texas
All items
100.0 97.1
Goods
103.8 98.1
Housing (rents)
93.9 96.5
Utilities
85.0 87.5
Other services
100.2 97.1

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
IllinoisTexas
All items100.097.1
Goods103.898.1
Housing (rents)93.996.5
Utilities85.087.5
Other services100.297.1
CategoryIllinoisTexasTexas vs Illinois
All items100.097.1−2.9%
Goods103.898.1−5.5%
Housing (rents)93.996.5+2.7%
Utilities85.087.5+3.0%
Other services100.297.1−3.1%
Income per person, adjusted for prices $60,333 $58,219 −3.5%
Regular gas, week of October 19, 2026* $4.14 $3.70 −10.6%
Salary to match $75,000 in Illinois $75,000 $72,800 −2.9%

Index values: BEA, 2024, US = 100. Income: BEA real personal income per person, 2017 dollars. Gas: EIA weekly retail prices. *Midwest region average (EIA has no separate Illinois figure).

Cheapest and most expensive places in each state

Illinois

  1. Cape Girardeau, MO 86.1
  2. Paducah, KY 86.1
  3. Decatur, IL 88.4
  4. Davenport, IA 89.1
  5. Peoria, IL 91.2
  6. Rockford, IL 92.2
  7. Champaign, IL 92.7
  8. Springfield, IL 92.7
  9. Bloomington, IL 93.5
  10. St. Louis, MO 95.1
  11. Kankakee, IL 96.4
  12. Chicago, IL 103.6

Texas

  1. Eagle Pass, TX 83.8
  2. Texarkana, TX 84.0
  3. McAllen, TX 85.9
  4. Brownsville, TX 86.0
  5. Laredo, TX 87.0
  6. Longview, TX 89.5
  7. Wichita Falls, TX 89.5
  8. Victoria, TX 89.8
  9. El Paso, TX 89.9
  10. Beaumont, TX 90.0
  11. Abilene, TX 90.4
  12. College Station, TX 91.0
  13. Killeen, TX 91.1
  14. Lubbock, TX 91.3
  15. Amarillo, TX 91.8
  16. Tyler, TX 92.2
  17. San Angelo, TX 92.5
  18. Waco, TX 92.6
  19. Corpus Christi, TX 92.7
  20. Sherman, TX 93.8
  21. Odessa, TX 93.9
  22. San Antonio, TX 94.7
  23. Midland, TX 95.8
  24. Austin, TX 98.1
  25. Houston, TX 98.6
  26. Dallas, TX 103.1

Metro areas ordered from cheapest to most expensive. BEA, 2024, US = 100.

How the gap has changed since 2008

The price gap between Illinois and Texas has been fairly stable since 2008

Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.

  • Illinois
  • Texas
US average = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
IllinoisTexas
2008100.397.1
2009101.696.7
2010101.897.7
2011102.097.0
2012100.997.7
2013100.298.1
201499.798.4
201598.998.3
201699.598.1
2017100.397.4
2018100.497.8
201999.598.5
2020100.398.8
2021101.398.4
2022101.297.4
202398.897.1
2024100.097.1

Goods

  • Illinois
  • Texas
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
IllinoisTexas
200899.497.1
2009101.796.1
2010102.298.1
2011102.696.5
2012101.197.6
201399.997.6
2014100.597.4
201598.697.1
201698.298.4
2017100.197.1
2018101.597.1
2019102.897.9
2020101.398.2
2021103.798.5
2022102.797.2
2023101.698.1
2024103.898.1

Housing (rents)

  • Illinois
  • Texas
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
IllinoisTexas
2008103.088.0
2009103.988.2
2010105.089.3
2011104.289.7
2012102.391.1
2013103.091.4
2014102.893.6
2015103.394.0
2016101.495.6
201799.995.2
201899.295.2
201997.795.8
202097.695.8
202196.295.6
202294.197.0
202392.497.5
202493.996.5

Utilities

  • Illinois
  • Texas
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
IllinoisTexas
200894.2101.4
200989.996.2
201090.898.1
201190.194.4
201287.093.1
201381.395.7
201488.494.9
201589.491.1
201689.791.9
201791.488.0
201891.887.5
201983.987.7
202084.785.0
202186.186.2
202288.288.7
202380.492.4
202485.087.5

Other services

  • Illinois
  • Texas
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
IllinoisTexas
2008100.5100.0
2009101.6100.4
2010101.3100.3
2011101.6100.1
2012101.3100.4
2013100.7101.0
201499.0101.1
201598.4101.1
2016100.299.0
2017100.998.9
2018100.699.8
201998.9100.5
2020101.4101.3
2021102.1100.0
2022103.098.2
202399.896.6
2024100.297.1

What incomes buy in each state

Income per person after adjusting for prices: $58,219 in Texas, $60,333 in Illinois

Real personal income per person, constant 2017 dollars (adjusted for each state's price level and for inflation).

  • Illinois
  • Texas
  • United States

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, real personal income by state (SARPI), 2008–2024.

Show the numbers
IllinoisTexasUnited States
2008$48,377$46,068$45,816
2009$45,534$43,349$44,204
2010$45,770$44,078$44,808
2011$46,640$46,663$45,957
2012$48,199$47,554$46,796
2013$48,770$47,301$46,358
2014$50,191$48,959$47,661
2015$52,761$48,983$49,396
2016$52,619$47,686$49,828
2017$53,045$49,918$51,006
2018$54,837$51,551$52,242
2019$56,192$52,343$53,683
2020$58,809$53,181$56,514
2021$60,683$56,442$59,365
2022$57,980$56,452$57,104
2023$60,348$57,708$58,088
2024$60,333$58,219$59,195

More

Related state comparisons

What this comparison leaves out

  • Taxes. State income, sales and property taxes differ a lot between states and are not included.
  • Where you live inside the state. Statewide figures average cities and rural areas; the metro lists above show the spread.
  • Your own spending mix. The default uses an average household. Use the housing slider if housing is a bigger share of your budget.
  • Timing. BEA price levels and incomes are for 2024; gas prices are weekly.

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