Even if we try to avoid it, sometimes moving is necessary. There are different reasons why people move to different locations, but more often than not it’s because they got a job offer somewhere else or because they want to be closer to family.
According to reports from moving companies, Illinois is one of the 3 states with the highest number of outbound moves — for every 1 person moving to this state, approximately 2 residents are moving out of this state. One of the main reasons for this is that older people with high incomes want to look for retirement in other states.
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- Illinois is home to one of the most famous cities in the world, but that doesn’t mean that this state is considered one of the best states to live in America.
- A beautiful aerial view of Chicago, Illinois.
Wisconsin, on the other hand, is considered a steady state when it comes to inbound and outbound moves, as the numbers are quite balanced. The Badger State is one of the top ten states to live in the country and has quite a few advantages over Illinois. Costs of living, quality of life post-retirement, education, health care, and economy in Wisconsin are just a few of these advantages.
The good news is that, if you want to move from Illinois to Wisconsin, this will be a rather simple process, especially because these states are neighbor states — and their two largest cities are separated by less than 100 miles!
- Wisconsin is considered one of the top 10 states in the country, and there are several factors that contribute to this title, including high-quality education, health care, and corrections systems.
- Milwaukee’s skyline photographed by a drone.
This consequently means that, when yourelocate to Wisconsin, your belongings will get to your new location in just a few days. Still, it’s important for us to mention that moving companies have the right to deliver your items within 21 days, according to the law.
If you’re moving from Illinois to Wisconsin, here’s everything you need to know!
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How Much Does It Cost to Move from Illinois to Wisconsin?
One of the first questions we ask ourselves when we’re thinking of relocating is “how much am I going to spend on this process?” — and that’s completely normal! Moving can be quite expensive, whether you’re moving from a house or moving from an apartment, but luckily that is not the case when it comes to moving from Illinois to Wisconsin.
However, there are different factors you need to consider in addition to distance. It’s important that you compare prices in order to hire the most affordable mover, and depending on the type of move you’re making, you can also save money or spend more money.
Below we’re going to describe the different types of services you can hire when relocating from Illinois to Wisconsin and give you estimated moving costs. A side note: all the moving costs we’re considering are based on a move from Springfield, Illinois to Madison, Wisconsin, which are the capitals of each state.
Full-Service Moving Company
While we’re always talking about moving costs being a huge factor in moving processes, for some people there are other concerns that are more important. That is, some people don’t have budget issues, they’re actually worried about the logistics of moving and all the effort and time that goes into it.
- There are different types of moving, but hiring a full-service moving company is still the most common. These companies will do all the work for you, including packing your belongings!
- Two moving company workers transporting items from an apartment.
If you don’t have time to organize your belongings, and even less time to pack them, your best option is to hire a full-service moving company. These companies will help you with everything in the process, from packing to transporting your belongings to unpacking and organizing them at your new home.
Because of all the services that these companies offer, it is naturally more expensive to hire their services. Here are the estimated costs of moving from Illinois to Wisconsin using a full-service moving company:
- Studio/1 Bedroom: $1083 – $1806
- 2-3 Bedrooms: $2508 – $4181
- 4+ Bedrooms: $3221 – $5368
- Office-Commercial Moving: $3472+
DIY Move
Another type of moving service you can hire to help you move to Wisconsin is a DIY move. In this type of moving, you’ll be responsible for arranging everything in the moving process — including driving the moving truck!
This type of moving is cheaper than hiring a full-service moving company, which is certainly an advantage. The downside here is that you’ll have to pay for gas and any other fees, such as repair fees. In addition to those expenses, you’ll probably also want to pay for moving insurance to make sure that you won’t have any financial loss in the event that something happens to your belongings.
While the driving part can be a disadvantage for some people, it won’t be as problematic when you move from Illinois to Wisconsin because the distance between these two states is relatively short.
If you’re wondering how much you’ll have to pay to make a DIY move from Illinois to Wisconsin, below we’ll present a list of estimated moving costs. Keep in mind that these estimates don’t include additional fees (gas, repairs, insurance, among others).
- Studio/1 Bedroom: $300+
- 2-3 Bedrooms: $350+
- 4+ Bedrooms: $403+
- Office-Commercial Moving: $793+
Moving Container
Moving containers are another type of moving service you can get to relocate from Illinois to Wisconsin. In this type of moving, you are in charge of packing your belongings and loading them into a container that is dropped off at your front door. Once you finish loading it, the moving company sends a truck to pick up the container and transport it to your new location.
This type of moving is advantageous because it is cheaper than hiring a full-service moving company — even though you’ll have more work to do, as you’ll be packing and loading items. It is also cheaper than hiring a moving truck, plus you won’t have to drive the truck to Wisconsin, which is also great.
Here are the estimated costs of hiring a moving container to move from Illinois to Wisconsin:
- Studio/1 Bedroom: $468+
- 2-3 Bedrooms: $480+
- 4+ Bedrooms: $492+
- Office-Commercial Moving: $500+
How to Hire Movers from Illinois to Wisconsin
Before you actually hire a moving company, first you need to understand that there are different types of movers, each offering different types of moving services. Before you even contact a mover, you need to know exactly what you need.
For instance, do you know what is the difference between a long-distance mover and a cross-country mover? The answer is that not all long-distance movers are legally allowed to do cross-country moves as they need to be licensed to do that.
Learn more about that and other differences below!
Interstate Moving
If you’re moving from one state to another (as opposed to moving between two cities within the same state), you’re going to need an interstate mover. While this may seem kind of obvious, it’s important that you keep this in mind in order to avoid hiring a local mover by accident.
Moving from Illinois to Wisconsin is a move that crosses the state line, thus it is considered a process of interstate moving. The good news is that most moving companies in the market offer interstate moving services — the only downside of this is that this means you’ll have to do thorough research to choose the best mover.
Long-Distance Moving
Long-distance is any relocation process that takes you from one location to another city or state that is 400 or more miles away. This number may vary depending on the moving company — some movers may consider any move longer than 100 miles as long-distance moving.
According to the commonly accepted definition of “long-distance moving”, relocating from Illinois to Wisconsin is not considered long-distance. Some of the largest cities in each state, such as Chicago and Milwaukee, are less than 100 miles away from each other. This also means that your moving costs may be reduced because of the short distance!
Cross-Country Moving
Cross-country moving is the type of moving that takes you across different state lines, such as moving from Vermont to Arizona, for instance. This type of moving is naturally more expensive, considering that you’ll be traveling a long distance.
The thing about cross-country moving is that not all movers are legally permitted to perform this type of moving. If you were making a cross-country move, you would have to check whether your mover was registered with the Department of Transportation to offer this type of moving.
Moving Brokers
If after reading about the different types of moving and different types of movers you still feel unsure about hiring a moving company, don’t worry. You may not know about this but there are professionals who act as middlemen when it comes to helping you find the perfect mover. These professionals are the moving brokers, and they’ll help you find the ideal moving company based on your budget, time, and needs!
Best Moving Companies to Help You Relocate from Illinois to Wisconsin
Once you start looking for the ideal moving company to help you relocate from Illinois to Wisconsin, you’ll see that there are countless movers out there. This is a problem for many families who are moving because it becomes really hard to choose just one.
We’re here to help and we don’t want you to go through that. While we advise you to do research and try to find a mover that fits your necessities specifically, we’ve brought 5 top movers to help move from Illinois to Wisconsin.
Gorilla Movers of Wisconsin
If you’re looking to hire a Wisconsin-based company, the Gorilla Movers of Wisconsin are a great option for you. This company has been operating in the Badger State for over two decades and offers a wide range of moving services to help you relocate from Illinois to Wisconsin.
Whether you need to move a hot tub to Wisconsin or you’re transporting an office to Wisconsin, these guys can help you with it all. On top of that, you can also get free quotes by simply filling a form on their website!
Mayflower Moving
In case you don’t have the time to do anything during the moving process, not even to pack your belongings, you can always rely on a full-service moving company — and Mayflower is one of the best in the country.
This nationwide company will help you relocate from Illinois to Wisconsin in no time, and they offer lots of helpful services. The only downside of hiring Mayflower is that they don’t give moving quotes as easily as other companies.
O’Mara Moving
One of the oldest moving companies in the country, O’Mara Moving has a facility in Illinois, just outside of Wisconsin — which means they can help you move quite easily. They also have specific packages to help you move between these two states.
O’Mara offers free moving quotes and plenty of moving services, from packing/unpacking to transporting fragile items such as art pieces and antiques. They also specialize in other types of moving, such as moving medical equipment and IT equipment.
Atlas Van Lines
With over 70 years of experience, Atlas is one of the oldest and largest moving companies in the country. While this company operates nationwide, its headquarters is located in Indiana, less than 300 miles away from Chicago, Illinois.
Atlas is known for being one of the most affordable companies in the market, which is ideal for any customer who’s working on a budget. The only downside of hiring this moving company is that they don’t offer moving insurance and you’ll have to look for that elsewhere.
Alliance Moving & Storage
If you’re moving from Chicago, one of the best Chicago-based moving companies is Alliance. Offering a wide range of moving services, this company has been in the market for less than 10 years but was founded by moving professionals with over 2 decades of experience in this field.
One of the advantages of hiring Alliance is the ease with which you’ll have access to moving quotes and customer service. The downside is that they only work with commercial moving in Chicago and surrounding areas, so you won’t be able to move an office to Wisconsin if you hire them.
You can read more about movers in our guide on finding the best moving companies!
What Are The Top Benefits of Moving from Illinois to Wisconsin?
Moving is something that we have to do sometimes, even if we don’t want to. For instance, if we get a great job offer in a different state, we’ll accept the offer and move. But sometimes people move out of their own volition, maybe to be closer to family or maybe to retire in a better place.
Either way, it’s always important that we take into account the pros and cons of each state. What is the point of moving somewhere for a job and finding out that this other location is so expensive that our new salary won’t be enough? In the case of moving for retirement, you also need to do research to make sure that your new location is actually good for you to retire there.
Before you move from Illinois to Wisconsin, you need to consider all the advantages and disadvantages of each state. To help you get a headstart, we’re bringing a comparison of both states!
Pros and Cons of Living in Illinois
Living in Illinois is considered great for many reasons, even though this state is ranked #30 on the ranking of best states in the country. Before you consider moving out of Illinois, it’s important that you be reminded of the pros and cons of this state — and we’ll list 3 of each below!
Pros
- Close to Major Cities
- One of the biggest advantages of living in Illinois is that you can live in smaller cities, which have lower costs of living and work in one of the major cities in the state, which have better-paying jobs.
- Nature
- If you’re a nature lover, living in some regions of Illinois probably makes you more than happy. This state is home to amazing natural attractions, including Lake Michigan and the Shawnee National Forest.
- Friendly People
- One of the best parts of living in Illinois is that the people in this state are generally nicer than lots of people in lots of other states. Because you feel welcomed here, this state is also considered a good place to raise kids.
Cons
- High Taxes
- Because Chicago is one of the most popular and important cities in the country, Illinois has a huge issue when it comes to taxes. This state is one of the least tax-friendly states, and you’ll have to pay these high taxes even if you don’t live in Chicago.
- Crime Rates
- Some parts of Illinois, particularly the ones surrounding major cities in the state, deal with high crime rates. Illinois deals with 407 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, which is higher than the national average of 379/100,000.
- Fiscal Stability
- Illinois has a long history of having corrupt politicians in charge of the state and also of having trouble with budget balancing. This means that Illinois spends more money than they have, and most of that money goes into Chicago, and not to other cities in the state.
Pros and Cons of Moving to Wisconsin
On the other hand, we have the state you’re considering moving to, which is Wisconsin. Unlike Illinois, the Badger State is among the top 10 best states in America, according to different sources.
There are plenty of reasons for that title, but that doesn’t mean that Wisconsin doesn’t have its flaws. Below we’ll list 6 pros and cons of moving to Wisconsin!
Pros
- Education and Health Care
- Wisconsin is home to some of the best schools in the country, ranking among the top 10 states for education. Another important milestone for the Badger State is that it has one of the best health care systems in the nation, even in its rural areas.
- Costs of Living and Housing
- Wisconsin has a relatively affordable cost of living, especially in comparison to Illinois. Even if you move to the largest city in Wisconsin, you still won’t spend as much as you would in Illinois!
- Natural Attractions
- Similar to Illinois, Wisconsin is also home to incredible natural wonders and will please most new residents who love going on outdoor adventures. There are over 10,000 lakes you can visit in this state, as well as forests, mountains, and wetlands.
Cons
- Brutal Weather
- It’s no surprise that Wisconsin is one of the coldest states during the winter (and also one of the coldest states overall), but that’s not the only brutal season in this state — during the Summer, it can get pretty hot in here.
- Job Growth
- One of the greatest disadvantages of moving to Wisconsin is that the job growth rate in this state has remained at 0% for a while, which means that there aren’t many new job opportunities in Wisconsin.
- Substance Abuse
- According to Wisconsin residents, substance abuse is becoming a major issue in this state. Alcoholism and drug use are skyrocketing, unfortunately, and it may negatively affect the crime rates in Wisconsin.
Price of Living in Illinois vs. Price of Living in Wisconsin
In addition to comparing the advantages and disadvantages of Illinois and Wisconsin, it’s also important that you compare the prices of living in each of these two states. The good news is that both Illinois and Wisconsin are relatively affordable, and you can live quite comfortably in either of the two states.
Below we’ll compare the prices of living in Illinois and Wisconsin. All estimates are based on the monthly expenses of a family of two adults and two children living in Chicago and Milwaukee, the two largest cities in each state.
EXPENSES | ILLINOIS | WISCONSIN |
| Housing | $1,180 | $911 |
| Food | $739 | $709 |
| Child care | $1,537 | $1,381 |
| Transportation | $1,054 | $1,099 |
| Health care | $1,053 | $1,200 |
| Other necessities | $774 | $653 |
| Taxes | $1,042 | $953 |
| Monthly Total | $7,378 | $6,906 |
| Annual Total | $88,536 | $82,877 |
All estimates above were calculated using the Economic Policy Institute’s Family Budget Calculator.
Best Places to Move to in Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a land of many cities, and a lot of them are really nice cities. While that’s a great thing, it also makes it quite difficult for prospective residents to choose an ideal place to move to in Wisconsin.
Some of the factors you need to consider when choosing a new city include — but are not limited to — the education system, health care system, costs of living, crime rates, and the job market in that city. If you take these factors into account and create a ranking based on your preferences, you’ll find the perfect city in no time.
To help you get started, here are the 4 top cities in Wisconsin.
- Milwaukee
- The most populated city in Wisconsin, Milwaukee is known as one of the most diverse cities in the country, as well as being one of the most important cities in the Midwest.
- Madison
- Home to a little over 259,000 people, Madison is the capital of Wisconsin. This city is the most progressive city in the state and is known for having a large number of parks and playgrounds. This city is also home to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which is the largest employer in Wisconsin.
- Green Bay
- The third-largest city in Wisconsin, Green Bay is named after Green Bay (an arm of the popular Lake Michigan) and is a great destination for those who love sports. This city is the home of an NFL team, the Green Bay Packers.
- Kenosha
- Kenosha is home to approximately 99,900 people and is known for being a region that relies on a services-based economy. It is also home to multiple higher education institutions, so if you work in either of these two fields, you’ll have plenty of chances of getting a good job in this city!
In the end, is Moving from Illinois to Wisconsin Worth It?
Illinois and Wisconsin are neighbor states, thus it is only natural that you won’t notice a lot of radical differences between these two Midwestern states. Even still, that doesn’t mean that there is no point in moving from Illinois to Wisconsin. Wisconsin is relatively more affordable than Illinois, as well as being safer and having more nature spots for you to visit. The Badger State also has an outstanding education system, being home to high-quality elementary, secondary, and higher education institutions.
One of the main issues in Illinois is that this state is home to one of the most important cities on the planet, Chicago, and a major part of financial investments goes into this city — while the rest of the state is often ignored.
Housing costs in Wisconsin are also more affordable than in Illinois. If you work in the services industry or in the education industry, you’ll have plenty of job opportunities in Wisconsin. However, some of the most important industries in this state are computer manufacturing, financial investments, and petroleum refining — so you have to work in one of these industries if you want to find a high-paying job.
How to Move from Illinois to Wisconsin
As thrilled as you may feel about starting a new chapter in your life, moving can be quite stressful. If this will be your first time relocating, you’ll also have to learn a lot of new things — and that will only make this process more tiresome.
- If you don’t plan your move, you may face lots of difficulties during the moving process. Below we’ll show you a list of 10 simple steps that will help you move from Illinois to Wisconsin!
- A family preparing to move out of their house.
We don’t want you to stress over moving, and the purpose of this guide is to help you learn more about how to move from Illinois to Wisconsin. In that sense, we’ve prepared 10 useful tips that will help your moving process go as smoothly as possible!
- Plan Ahead.
- Planning is the key to success in almost every aspect of our lives. Why would it be different when it comes to moving? Planning ahead of moving from Illinois to Wisconsin will save you a lot of time and money. You can use our downloadable moving checklist when you’re planning!
- Downsize.
- Let’s be honest: you probably have a bunch of useless stuff lying around the house, items you haven’t used in forever. Keep in mind that, when you’re moving to Wisconsin, all these items will count towards the final quote you’ll receive from the moving company. If you want to save some precious money, our recommendation is that you downsize before moving.
- Get Moving Quotes.
- Another way of saving your hard-earned money is to get moving quotes from different companies. Most companies provide moving costs calculators on their websites, but you will have to get quotes from every single mover website. However, if you use our free moving costs calculator, you can get quotes from different moving companies in just a few minutes!
- Book Movers.
- The next step in the moving process is to book movers. Once you’re done comparing prices and benefits, it’s time for you to choose the moving company that will help you relocate from Illinois to Wisconsin.
- Visit Your New Area.
- One of the best ways of being sure that your new location will be ideal for you is to visit that location ahead of permanently moving there. Illinois and Wisconsin are just around the corner from each other, so it won’t take a lot of time or money for you to visit your new area.
- Start Packing.
- Once you hire a moving company and visit your new area, it’s time for you to start packing. This part of the moving process takes quite a bit of time, so you’ll probably want to start packing as soon as possible.
- Create an Essentials Box.
- An essentials box is simply a box where you’ll store important items, such as snacks for the road or clothes you’ll want to change into once you arrive in Wisconsin.
- Say Farewells.
- Even though Illinois and Wisconsin are not that far from each other, you still won’t be able to see your friends and family as often as you do now. Because of that, it’s important that you take the time to say farewells to all your loved ones.
- Get Some Rest.
- Once all the planning, organizing, and packing are done, you’ll finally be able to move to Wisconsin. While you won’t be traveling that long of a distance to get to your new home, you should probably get some rest before the moving day.
- Enjoy the Move!
- If we said that moving is not stressful, we would be lying to you. Even short-distance interstate moves like this one are stressful and you may forget to enjoy the process. Keep in mind the importance of this moment and enjoy all of it!
Moving Services to Help You Relocate from Illinois to Wisconsin
When we talked about the different types of moving earlier in this article, we mentioned that you have the option of doing a DIY move to Wisconsin. However, you may have moving needs that you may not be able to come up with solutions for.
Full-service moving companies offer a wide range of services, and they’ll make your life much easier. If you decide to hire a moving company, you’ll be faced with lots of terminologies that may sound new to you — and that’s why we’ll talk about 9 common types of moving services to help you relocate from Illinois to Wisconsin!
- Furniture Transportation
- The most common type of moving service you’ll find is furniture transportation. Most, if not all, movers offer this service and will promptly help you move furniture from Illinois to Wisconsin at budget-friendly prices.
- Residential Movers
- When you’re moving from a house, you need to hire residential movers. While this may seem a bit obvious, it’s not unusual for people to hire other types of movers instead.
- Piano Transportation
- If you have a piano at home, one of your main worries may be whether or not you can transport a piano from Illinois to Wisconsin. The answer is yes, you can — as long as you hire a moving company that offers this type of moving service.
- Art and Antiques Movers
- Having fragile items at home pose a concern when it comes to moving, as these items obviously require more care during the moving process. Luckily, there are companies that offer art and antiques moving services and have highly skilled professionals working for them.
- Hot Tub Movers
- Do you own a hot tub? Moving a hot tub from Illinois to Wisconsin is easier than you may think. On top of that, it’s also cheaper to transport a hot tub between these two states rather than buying a new one!
- Pool Table Movers
- There are many reasons why you would want to take your pool table with you during a move. Maybe it has sentimental value or maybe it’s a rare pool table. Just like hot tubs, you can also move a pool table to Wisconsin — and it won’t be expensive either!
- Office Movers
- If you want to move an office from Illinois to Wisconsin, you can rest assured that this is possible. Better yet, there are moving companies that specialize in this type of service. However, office moving can be quite on the pricey side, given the logistics of packing and transporting items from an office to the moving truck, among other factors.
- Long-Distance Movers
- Long-distance movers help you relocate between states that are 400 or more miles away from one another. In this case, moving from Illinois to Wisconsin is not a long-distance move, so you can hire any mover that works with interstate moving.
- Last-Minute Movers
- While our main recommendation is that you plan ahead of moving to Wisconsin, we can’t determine what will happen in the future. In case any unexpected events happen, you can always make a last-minute move — you just have to find the right moving company.