Advice on moving to IL?

I have to agree with a number of the posts above...if you can help it...I would stay far away from Illinois. I was a resident of NW area for decades...over regulated, over taxed, and very expensive. The state is broke and always looking for more. Just my two cents...I might add...I'm now in Missouri and LOVE it!

Advise : DONT DO IT!!!!!!?

I lived there for a decade, never again.

Depends on perspective. I went from CT to IL (hour south of rockford/2 hrs north of peoria) for a job early 2014 and have loved it. Great communities and summers are always busy with some neighborhood activities. Cost of living for me went down quite a bit. Everyplace you go will have good and bad aspects to it.

My thoughts are if IL is where you've found work in order to provide for yourself and family the that's most important. Being from Northern IL I feel there is a lot of misinformation and poor opinions in this thread. We don't have high income taxes compared to many states including Iowa and Missouri. Sales tax in cook county(Chicago) is outrageous but I highly doubt you'll be buying your groceries and fuel there. The rest of the state I don't notice a significant difference in taxes compared to many other parts of this country. Cost of living is on track with wages I feel. I'm not sure what work you do but compared to every southern state the wages here are generally better.
And all this talk about restrictive gun laws is again misinformation. You do have to have a firearms owners ID card but that is simply a tool the state tries to employ to "help" keep guns out of the hands of people that shouldn't have guns to begin with. If your a mentally sound law abiding citizen you'll feel know restrictions on your second amendment. We did just get our conceal carry law. Which I have and if you so desire to have is a 16 hour class and a simple proficiency test. I hope this is gives you a little better understanding of IL a better opinion than just "don't move there"

Rural areas are far different than Chicago area. Many state laws are ignored for the most part and cops rarely enforce them. Gun laws aren't bad IMO. I've owned guns here all my life with no problems but we were the last state to get CC. Heck, you still see guns for sale at yard sales quite often. It is a poorly governed state financially. One advantage is Illinois does not tax any retirement pensions or Social Security. License plates are about $100 a year and there is no personal property tax. Real estate taxes vary greatly from county to county, so check them out before you buy.

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Dear Math, it is time you grew up and solved your own problems.

I am not trying to be malicious or mean but consider this; If you have nothing to hide than why not let the government have access to your email, why stop there they mes swell search your regular mail your credit card history and your backyard while they are at it. Putting a tracking device on your car will help solve crimes and lower the accident rate. Ironic thing is they are already doing many of those things. Never give the government anymore power than they need, good guy or not. A right is suppose to be a right.

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www.jlmissouri.com Lewis Family Farm

I should have added laws only effect the good guys not the bad. Criminals could care less what is required to have a firearm. They are in the business of breaking laws.

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www.jlmissouri.com Lewis Family Farm

Would it possible for you to cite your sources for all these ideas you've generated? Laws are what separates us from the criminals. And this thread isn't about a criminals career choice, it about a member seeking info on moving to IL possibly.

My advice would be to not become a FIB.

I have lived in South-Central Illinois 40 of my 43 years. Low cost of living and good people but other than that I wouldn't have Illinois on a bet. If we can get our house sold at some point we are moving from here to a dryer, warmer climate. These past 2 Winters have been brutal for those with arthritis. Not to mention that as others have pointed out it is one of the worst states for government.

I was born in NW IL and then we moved to Rockford where I lived until just before my husband and I were to celebrate our 1st wedding anniversary. We moved to TN and would Never go back!
My entire family lives in Northern IL but there are just too many other reasons not to be there. The cost of living is quite high. For instance my parents and I have properties valued within $10,000 of each other. My parents however pay 5 TIMES what I pay in property taxes. Ugh. Yes we do have a higher sales tax, however we do not have a state income tax, and if you keep your purchases down it doesn't hurt as much in your wallet.
Jobs are a good deal more plentiful in TN than in IL also. We left 26 years ago when all manufacturing etc businesses were closing down and leaving town. In Rockford, there was a restaurant on every corner, but finding a job that pays a fair wage?? Good Luck.

That's not entirely true.

Admittedly, all of the corporate STATES have their quirks as to how they choose to manage and administer their respective equity jurisdictions, but......the organic republic is still here and faring well.

Common law liberties are still respected.

The corporate side doesn't even make for a bad neighbor, truth be known.....once the boundaries are established.

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“I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice! And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.” Barry Goldwater.
III

The farther north you go, the higher the land prices.

If you move up here, be sure to come to our 11th Annual Homesteading Weekend

A few folks from HT show up.

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http://homesteadingfamilies.proboards.com/

The area you mention moving to is not far from the NE corner of Missouri. Could you live in NE Missouri and still get the job?

Kahokia Missouri if up there. About what, 45 minutes to an hour north of Hannibal?

I did hear that the Illinois income tax went up several years ago. I think the state is broke. The governors of the state generally complete their term in prison, and Chicago, a cesspool of corruption runs the state.

I live in Central Mo. Each winter my company had a 3 day training I had to attend. I would have to spend an hour going through my vehicle making sure there were no guns, spent cases, live ammo, gunpowder or anything else that might get me thrown in jail if I got pulled over for speeding.

The last year I worked, I knew I was retiring, and rather than go to the meeting I called in sick.

I think an Illinois resident, with their approved firearms card, would be OK in rural areas. Me being a non-resident, I wasn't going to take a chance with the Illinois gestapo catching me with a firearm.

Maybe I was overly cautious and paranoid, but that was the way I had to deal with it.

AND, they will not let you use high power rifles for deer hunting. You gotta use a shotgun. What a dumb rule. I have hunted my entire life here in MO. and never tried to use a shotgun for deer. I know it can be done.

Good luck, Gene

It seems like there are a lot of odd misconceptions about IL by some who may or may not have lived here. I've been in IL most of my 60 yrs, know a fair number of police but yet to have met any gestapo. The deer hunters around here seem to do quite well with shotgun, muzzle loader, handgun and bow. I don't know anything about hunting with a high powered rifle but rules against it might have something to do with preventing a stray bullet going through someone's house or car very far away from the original shooter's location. Deer do get missed no matter what is being fired at them.
Not only that, us and many people we know are armed to the teeth so there doesn't seem to be a problem with gun ownership.

Chicago is a whole different subject as far as taxes, property costs, living expenses etc, etc. There are many places away from Chicago that are reasonable places to live. There are also many places in other States that have their own problems. Point is, no where is perfect and most times people have to live where their job takes them and it sounds like the OP has a job lined up.

I agree 100% about comparing a very large state with a huge rural area to the Chicago metro area. That would be a bit like describing Missouri as being exactly the same as urban Saint Louis or Kansas City and all of the crime they have.