Do you pay less tax in Illinois or Wisconsin?

On a $100,000 salary, a single filer keeps about $360 more per year in Wisconsin than in Illinois, looking at state income tax alone. The gap grows or shrinks with income. Use the calculator above for your salary.

Does this include property and sales tax?

No. This compares state income tax only. Federal income tax and FICA are the same in both states.

What about moving mid-year?

In the year you move, you typically file part-year resident returns in both states and split your income by your move date, so your first-year savings are smaller than a full-year comparison suggests.

Illinois vs Wisconsin: take-home pay compared

On a $100,000 salary, a single filer keeps about $360 more per year in Wisconsin than in Illinois, from state income tax alone. Compare any salary below.

Annual salary

State A

State B

Filing status

Illinois

$74,375/yr

Federal income tax: $13,170
FICA: $7,650
State income tax: $4,805
Effective rate: 25.63%

Wisconsinkeeps more

$74,735/yr

Federal income tax: $13,170
FICA: $7,650
State income tax: $4,445
Effective rate: 25.27%

On a $100,000 salary, you keep $360 more per year in Wisconsin than in Illinois, that’s $30/month of difference, purely from state income tax.

To match Wisconsin’s $74,735 take-home while living in Illinois, you’d need to earn about $100,550, a $550 raise.

Compares state income tax only (federal tax and FICA are identical in both states). It does notinclude property tax, sales tax, or local/city income taxes. A state with no income tax (e.g. Texas, Florida) often makes up revenue through higher property or sales tax, so the income-tax winner isn’t always the cheaper place to live. 2026 estimate, standard deduction, not tax advice.

Illinois vs Wisconsin take-home pay, by salary

Annual take-home pay for a single filer in 2026, after federal, FICA, and state income tax.

Salary	Illinois	Wisconsin	Difference
$50,000	$40,025	$40,770	−$745 WI
$75,000	$58,025	$58,635	−$610 WI
$100,000	$74,375	$74,735	−$360 WI
$150,000	$106,511	$106,482	+$29 IL
$200,000	$139,172	$138,968	+$204 IL
$250,000	$170,952	$170,573	+$379 IL

→ Illinois take-home pay by salary → Wisconsin take-home pay by salary

FAQ

Do you pay less tax in Illinois or Wisconsin?: On a $100,000 salary, a single filer keeps about $360 more per year in Wisconsin than in Illinois, looking at state income tax alone. The gap grows or shrinks with income. Use the calculator above for your salary.
Does this include property and sales tax?: No. This compares state income tax only. Federal income tax and FICA are the same in both states.
What about moving mid-year?: In the year you move, you typically file part-year resident returns in both states and split your income by your move date, so your first-year savings are smaller than a full-year comparison suggests.