Side-by-side state comparison

Illinois vs Texas Paycheck Comparison (2026)

Last reviewed: April 20, 2026

At $100,000 single filer, take-home difference

Moving from Illinois to Texas saves approximately $4,950 per year at $100,000 single.

Computed from the tax engine with 2026 federal brackets, FICA, and state tax. Standard deduction, no pre-tax contributions.

Illinois and Texas sit on different sides of the state-tax spectrum. Illinois has a 4.95% flat state tax. Texas has no state income tax. At a $100,000 single salary, Texas residents take home approximately $4,950 more per year than Illinois residents, or roughly $413 more per month. Because the tax state is flat-rate, the dollar gap scales roughly linearly with salary: higher salaries produce proportionally larger no-tax-state advantages. If you are considering a move between Illinois and Texas, the table below shows the paycheck impact at four common salary points, with the federal load held constant across both. Cost of living and housing markets shift the full math beyond paycheck alone.

How the state tax structures compare

FeatureIllinoisTexas
State structure4.95 percent flat taxNo state income tax on wages
Taxes wages?YesNo

Take-home at four common salary points

Single filer, 2026 brackets, standard deduction, no pre-tax contributions. Delta is Texas take-home minus Illinois take-home.

SalaryIllinoisTexasDelta
$50,000$39,880$42,355+$2,475
$100,000$74,230$79,180+$4,950
$150,000$106,366$113,791+$7,425
$250,000$170,807$183,182+$12,375

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Location A
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No state income tax

Texas takes home more

+$4,950

more per year vs. Illinois · $413/mo · $190/paycheck

5-Year Difference

$24,750

Tax Component
Illinois
Texaswinner
Gross Salary$100,000$100,000
Federal Tax$13,170$13,170
Social Security$6,200$6,200
Medicare$1,450$1,450
State Tax$4,950$0
Local / City Tax$0$0
Annual Take-Home$74,230$79,180
Effective Tax Rate25.77%20.82%
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Illinois vs Texas FAQ

What's the biggest paycheck difference between Illinois and Texas?
The state income tax. Texas levies no state income tax on wages, while Illinois applies a 4.95% flat state tax. At the same gross salary, Illinois's state-tax line is the gap.
Does this comparison include local taxes?
No. Neither Illinois nor Texas has city- or county-level wage tax that the engine models for this comparison. The state lines shown are the complete state-and-local picture for this pair.
What about cost-of-living differences?
This page covers paycheck math only. Housing, transportation, childcare, healthcare, and other costs vary widely between Illinois and Texas, often by more than the paycheck difference. Use the take-home gap as one input alongside a cost-of-living check before making relocation decisions.

Reviewed

How This Page Is Reviewed

The Illinois vs Texas comparison is reviewed against primary federal and state sources before each major tax-year update. Source links below are the references used to validate brackets, wage bases, and supported local taxes.

Reviewed by

PaycheckCalc Research Desk

Last reviewed

2026-04-20