Are you considering moving from Illinois to Kentucky? In that case, you’re not alone. Thousands of people move to Kentucky each year — and this state is in the top 20 when it comes to states where people in Illinois are moving to the most.
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- While Illinois is considered one of the 20 best states in America, more people are moving out of this state than moving in — and some of these people are moving to Kentucky.
- A beautiful day in Chicago, Illinois.
In 2019 alone, over 4,800 people moved from Illinois to Kentucky. There are several reasons why people migrate from one state to the other, however, affordability and tax burden are the top reasons. Distance is another factor that is taken into account. The distance between Illinois and Kentucky is approximately 300 miles, so this relocation process is quite simple.
Because Illinois and Kentucky aren’t that far away from one another, your belongings will be transported to your new home in a considerably short time. While it may take anywhere between 5 to 9 days for your items to arrive in Kentucky, the law states that moving companies have up to 21 days to deliver them.
- In 2019 alone, over 4,000 Illinois residents relocated to Kentucky, and this number is expected to continue rising.
- View of the bridge that connects Covington, Kentucky to Cincinnati, Ohio.
In this article, we’re going to explain everything there is to know about moving from Illinois to Kentucky!
Contents:
How Much Does It Cost to Move From Illinois to Kentucky?
Moving is a process that requires that you have time, energy, and money. You’ll probably have to buy or rent a house/apartment in your new location, plus you’ll have to pay for the moving costs.
The process of relocating to a new place can be quite expensive — unless you do some research and find the most affordable movers. Alternatively, you can also take the reins in your moving process and do everything without a moving company.
Below, we’re going to talk about three types of moving services you can hire and how much you’ll have to spend to move from Illinois to Kentucky!
Full-service moving company
There are several full-service moving companies available in the market, and they can help you with your move from Illinois to Kentucky — whether you need an apartment mover or to move an office to Kentucky!
Hiring a full-service moving company is not necessarily your cheapest option, but it is the easiest way of relocating from Illinois to Kentucky. These movers will help you in every stage of the moving process, from planning to packing to transporting your belongings.
Here are the estimated moving costs of hiring a full-service moving company to relocate from Illinois to Kentucky.
- Studio/1 Bedroom: $1119 – $1866
- 2-3 Bedrooms: $2544 – $4241
- 4+ Bedrooms: $3257 – $5428
- Office-Commercial Moving: $5544 – $7241
Renting a DIY moving truck
Renting a DIY moving truck is what we meant when we mentioned that you could take the reins in the moving process. By getting a rental truck, you’ll be responsible for every step of the moving process.
This type of moving, while affordable, can be fairly exhausting and stressful. First things first, you’ll have to pack your belongings and load them into the moving truck. Then, you’ll have to drive the moving truck from Illinois to Kentucky yourself. Plus, you’ll probably have to spend some money to hire a moving insurance package.
Here are the estimated moving costs of renting a DIY moving truck to relocate from Illinois to Kentucky.
- Studio/1 Bedroom: $450+
- 2-3 Bedrooms: $516+
- 4+ Bedrooms: $681+
- Office-Commercial Moving: $1031+
It’s important to note that the estimates presented above don’t include extra expenses, such as gas, repairs, moving insurance, among others.
Renting a moving container
Another option that you have when moving from Illinois to Kentucky is to rent a moving container. While not every moving company offers this service, there are companies, such as PODS, that specialize in renting moving containers to clients.
When you rent a moving container, you’ll be in charge of packing your belongings and loading them into the truck, but you won’t be doing the driving. The procedure is rather simple: the company will drop off the container at your home and you’ll load it. Once you are done, the company will send a truck to pick up the container and then transport it to your new location.
Here are the estimated moving costs of renting a moving container to relocate from Illinois to Kentucky.
- Studio/1 Bedroom: $1010+
- 2-3 Bedrooms: $1125+
- 4+ Bedrooms: $1250+
- Office-Commercial Moving: $1425+
How to Hire Movers from Illinois to Kentucky
When it comes to moving, you may be surprised to find that there are lots of terms being thrown around in this industry. Because of the wide range of services that are offered by moving companies, it’s important that you learn some definitions before you contact a mover.
Below we’ll talk about three important types of movers you can hire.
Interstate Movers
The first term you need to know is interstate moving. This is the type of moving service you need to hire when you are moving out of a state. If you’re moving between cities in the same state, you’ll need intrastate moving, which is also known as local moving.
For instance, if you were moving from Illinois to Wisconsin, that would be considered interstate moving even though these are neighbor locations. This means that distance doesn’t play a major role in this type of moving. Thus, we can say that, in order to move from Illinois to Kentucky, you will need interstate movers.
Long-Distance Movers
When you move between cities that are not so far from one another, you can simply hire a full-service moving company. However, when the cities are 400 miles (or more) apart, you’ll need to hire long-distance movers.
In the case of moving from Illinois to Kentucky, whether you’ll need a long-distance mover will depend on the city you’re moving from and the city you’re moving to. For instance, moving from Chicago to Louisville probably won’t require a long-distance mover because there are only 300 miles separating these cities. However, if you were moving from Illinois City to Louisville, you would need a long-distance mover given that these cities are over 420 miles apart.
Cross-Country Movers
A cross-country mover is a mover you’ll need to hire if you’re relocating across the nation. For instance, if you were moving from New York City to Los Angeles, you would need to hire one of these.
These movers are licensed within the Department of Transportation to perform these types of moves, hence why not every company is allowed to work with cross-country moving. Relocating from Illinois to Kentucky doesn’t require a cross-country mover once these states are not that far apart.
Moving Brokers
At this point, your mind is probably spinning with all the terms and concepts in the moving industry. To make matters worse, there are so many companies in the market that you may feel overwhelmed when the time comes to hire a mover to move from Illinois to Kentucky.
Luckily, there are professionals who are specialists in helping clients find the perfect mover. These professionals are the moving brokers, and they’ll act as middlemen in your moving process. All you have to do is contact a broker, tell them where you’re moving from and to, explain your needs and preferences, and done — they’ll find you the ideal moving company!
5 Best Moving Companies to Help Relocate from Illinois to Kentucky
If you’re not sure which moving company to hire, you don’t have to be worried. Many customers feel overwhelmed when trying to choose one mover among hundreds and hundreds of companies offering their services.
Before you contact a mover or a moving broker, you can take a look at these companies that we handpicked for you. Here are the 5 best moving companies to help relocate from Illinois to Kentucky!
Illinois Movers Inc.
If you’re looking to hire a local Illinois mover, Illinois Movers Inc. is a great option for you. With over a decade of experience helping families move within Illinois and out of the state, this company offers a wide range of high-quality services, including long-distance moving.
One of the downsides of Illinois Movers Inc. is that its services are fairly expensive. With long-distance moving services starting at $1750, relocating from Illinois to Kentucky can be rather pricey when you hire this company.
Devon Moving Company
Another Illinois-based company you can hire is Devon Moving Company. After being in the market for almost 20 years, this company is one of the best-rated Illinois moving companies on Yelp.
According to former clients, the staff at Devon Moving are quite communicative, helpful, and skilled workers. In addition to that, this company has great pricing and is one of the best options for those who are moving out of Chicago.
Black Tie Moving
If you’re interested in hiring a Kentucky moving company, you should certainly consider Black Tie Moving. With athletic and highly skilled movers, your belongings will be safe in their hands.
Yelp reviews indicate that this company offers high-quality service, from customer service to the actual moving services, such as packing and transporting of items. While their pricing is not necessarily the cheapest, Black Tie Moving is not the most expensive mover either.
Bekins Moving
Bekins Moving has been in the market for over 120 years. Yes, that is correct! This company was established back in 1891 and has been providing high-quality services nationwide. One downside of this company is that its prices are fairly high for residential moves.
Another downside of hiring Bekins Moving is that they don’t offer precise estimates on their website, they only give you ballpark estimates. Once you contact them, they’ll send an agent to your home in order to give you in-home moving costs estimates.
National Van Lines
Another company that operates nationwide is National Van Lines. Established back in 1929, this Chicago-based company is known for offering quality moving services at affordable rates.
One of the best parts of hiring National Van Lines is that they have developed a quick way of giving you moving costs estimates without having to make you wait until an agent visits your home — simply record a video on your phone and send it to them. Once you do that, they’ll give you free moving costs estimates!
What Are the Top Benefits of Moving from Illinois to Kentucky
When we’re considering relocating to a new place, it’s highly important that we try to make a list of the advantages and disadvantages of both locations. Unless you’re moving due to professional reasons, it’s always relevant to know whether it’s worth it or not to move to this other place.
If you’re thinking of moving from Illinois to Kentucky, you’re probably wondering what’s good and what’s not good about this moving process. To help you reach a final decision, here are the top benefits of moving from Illinois to Kentucky!
Pros of Living in Illinois
- Minimum wage
- The minimum wage in Illinois is not necessarily bad, and it will get even better in some regions of the state. In Chicago, for instance, the minimum wage has recently increased to $15/hour, while other counties in the state have a $13/hour rate.
- Sports state
- If you like sports, living in Illinois is ideal for you. This state has major professional teams in multiple sports, including baseball, basketball, football, and ice hockey.
- Architecture
- Illinois is a haven for architecture lovers. This state is home to several unique buildings, especially in the Chicago area. Some places to visit in this state include the Willis Tower, Illinois State Capitol, Robie House, and more.
Pros of Moving to Kentucky
- Affordability
- One of the best parts about moving to Kentucky is that this state is one of the most affordable states in the country. With a cost of living index of 86.5, you’ll live a rather comfortable life in Kentucky with the income you currently earn in Illinois.
- Nature
- Do you love going on outdoor adventures? In that case, moving to Kentucky is ideal for you. This state is home to several natural attractions that will amaze you, such as Mammoth Cave, Cumberland Falls, and Saunders Springs Nature Preserve.
- Job opportunities
- Kentucky is currently one of the 25 states with the lowest unemployment rates. Most workers in this state find job opportunities in the education, food services, and construction sectors.
Cons of Living in Illinois
- Costs of living
- While it is not necessarily the most expensive in the Midwest, living in Illinois is still considerably pricey. The tax burden in this state is high and housing is not exactly affordable.
- Unemployment rates
- In addition to facing high crime rates, Illinois also deals with a considerably high unemployment rate, currently ranking at #44 with a rate of 7.1%.
- Unpredictable weather
- The weather in Illinois is rather unpredictable and can change from one minute to the other. Winters in this state are also extremely harsh, so if you’re not a fan of cold weather, living in Illinois may not be your cup of tea.
Cons of Moving to Kentucky
- Pollution issues
- Kentucky currently ranks at #29 in terms of the natural environment, according to the US News & Report. This state releases approximately 1,116 pounds/mi² of industrial toxins in the air, while the national average is 959 pounds per square mile.
- Close-minded people
- If you’re moving to Kentucky from large cities in Illinois, such as Chicago, you may have to take some time to get used to the mindset in Kentucky. In this state, you’re likely to find close-minded people, especially if the topic at hand is religion, politics, gender, and race.
- Natural disasters
- One of the downsides of moving to Kentucky is that this state is prone to suffering from natural disasters. According to the Kentucky Emergency Management, some of the hazards that can happen in Kentucky include droughts, earthquakes, tornados, floods, severe storms, and others.
Comparison: Price of Living in Illinois vs. Price of Living in Kentucky
Costs of living are one of the first things that families look into before they relocate. Some states are more expensive than others, and it may not be worth relocating in those cases, even if you’re moving due to professional reasons.
While Illinois is not the most expensive state to live in the country, it is still more expensive than Kentucky. To give you an idea of the living costs, here is a comparison of the price of living in Illinois vs. the price of living in Kentucky.
EXPENSES | ILLINOIS | KENTUCKY |
| Housing | $1,180 | $821 |
| Food | $739 | $725 |
| Child care | $1,537 | $1,301 |
| Transportation | $1,054 | $1,153 |
| Health care | $1,053 | $814 |
| Other necessities | $774 | $624 |
| Taxes | $1,042 | $845 |
| Monthly Total | $7,378 | $6,283 |
| Annual Total | $88,536 | $75,400 |
Note that the estimates presented above were calculated based on the expenses of a family of two adults and two children living in Chicago, Illinois, and the same family living in Louisville, Kentucky. These numbers were retrieved from the EPI’s Family Budget Calculator.
Best Places to Move to in Kentucky
If you have decided to move from Illinois to Kentucky, you’re likely wondering where exactly will you move to in the Bluegrass State. There are way too many good options to consider, and you may have a hard time picking just one.
To help you with this decision, we’ve brought 4 top cities to move to in Kentucky!
- Louisville
- The most populated city in Kentucky, Louisville is also the state’s most popular city. Louisville is home to the University of Louisville and the Cardinals teams, the Kentucky Derby, and KFC.
- Lexington
- Lexington is at the heart of the Bluegrass region in Kentucky. This city is known for breeding quality thoroughbred horses, which is why this city is known as the “horse capital of the world”.
- Fort Thomas
- Home to a little over 16,000 people, Fort Thomas is a popular destination in Kentucky due to the quality of life in this city. It has great schools, low crime rates, low unemployment rates, households with high income, and more positive factors.
- Hopkinsville
- Hopkinsville is another Kentucky city that is a good place to live with the family. While it has a larger population than Fort Thomas, with over 31,000 residents, Hopkinsville is known for being a safe place to live with the family and for having more things to do than Fort Thomas.
In the end, is Moving from Illinois to Kentucky Worth It?
When we decide to move from a state to another, it’s important for us to consider all the factors that go into this decision, as well as trying to determine whether or not it’s worth moving to this new place.
In case you’re considering moving from Illinois to Kentucky, you need to take into account all the factors that are beneficial to you and your family. However, speaking in general terms, Kentucky is more affordable and fairly safer than Illinois.
Additionally, the job market in Kentucky has more opportunities, and the job growth rate in the Bluegrass State is higher than the one in Illinois (1.2% in KY, whereas the rate in Illinois is only 0.2%). On top of that, the unemployment rate in Kentucky is considerably lower.
Politically speaking, Illinois and Kentucky are complete opposites: the former is historically a blue state, while the latter is historically a red state. These states are also quite different when it comes to culture, as Illinois tends to be more open-minded than Kentucky, which is more conservative.
Moving to Kentucky means that it’ll probably take a while for you to get used to the political, religious, and cultural mindsets in this state, living here may prove to be more rewarding than living in Illinois. Thus, our final verdict is that moving from Illinois to Kentucky is worth it.
How to Move from Illinois to Kentucky?
Now that you know the types of moving services you can hire to move to Kentucky and that you have probably already chosen a city in this state to move to, it’s time for you to start organizing your move to the Bluegrass State.
If this is your first time ever relocating, you may feel overwhelmed with the amount of information you’re receiving. There are a lot of factors that go into any moving process, even if it’s not a seemingly complicated relocation, as in moving from Illinois to Kentucky, which are just a few hours apart.
To help you in this process, here are 10 useful tips on how to move from Illinois to Kentucky!
- Plan Ahead
- Every important moment of our lives requires planning, and so does moving from Illinois to Kentucky. If you start planning your move early on, you’ll get to avoid having any issues during the relocation process while possibly saving money. Our downloadable moving checklist comes in handy in this process!
- Downsize
- Another way of saving money during your move from Illinois to Kentucky is to downsize. You probably have items in your home that you don’t even use anymore, so our recommendation is that you donate or sell these items prior to contacting a mover.
- Get Moving Quotes
- When it comes to relocating, it’s not recommended that you contact one mover and hire their services straight away. One of the best things you can do is get moving quotes from different companies and pick a company that offers affordable yet quality service. Using our free moving costs calculator can be quite helpful when you get to this step!
- Book Movers
- Once you found the moving company that fits your needs and budget, it’s time to book their services. Here’s a useful tip: book a mover as early as possible in order to avoid paying extra fees for last-minute moving.
- Visit Your New Area
- If you’re not sure about moving to Kentucky, one of the things you can do before making a decision is to visit your new area. Take a weekend to visit the city you’re moving to and get a feel of the area.
- Start Packing
- If you hired packing services from your mover, you can obviously skip this step. However, if you haven’t, it’s time for you to start packing your belongings. In case you don’t have moving boxes, you can always talk to your mover about this.
- Create an Essentials Box
- If you’re going to Kentucky by car, one of the best things you can do is to create an essentials box and keep it with you in the car. In this box, you’ll store essential items that you’ll want to be within reach during the trip and once you arrive at your new home, such as toiletries, snacks, clothes, among others.
- Say Farewells
- While Kentucky and Illinois are not that far apart and you can always visit your family and friends, it’s important that you take some time to say your farewells.
- Get Some Rest
- The process of moving can be stressful and exhausting. Even if you hire the best movers in the world, you’ll still feel tired by the end of this process. Hence why it’s essential that you take time to get some rest.
- Enjoy the Move
- Amid the rush to get everything ready for the big day, you may forget one essential thing: to have fun while moving. This is the start of a new chapter in your life, so don’t forget to enjoy the move from Illinois to Kentucky!
Moving Services to Help You Relocate from Illinois to Kentucky
Once you start looking, you’ll find that there are many moving companies that can help you with your moving process. You’ll also see that these companies offer a wide range of services, and you may not know exactly what you’ll need.
- Moving companies offer a wide range of services, and you need to know what each of these services mean before you book a mover.
- Two moving company workers transporting the belongings of a client.
Whether you want to move a piano or you want to relocate an office, there are movers to help with all of that. Here are 9 moving services to help you relocate from Illinois to Kentucky!
- Furniture Transportation
- Furniture transportation is the type of service you’ll need to hire in case you’re moving furniture from Illinois to Kentucky. This is easily the most common type of moving service you can hire and most, if not all, movers offer it.
- Residential Movers
- There are two main types of movers: commercial movers and residential movers. In case you’re only moving the belongings from your house, you’ll need to hire the latter.
- Piano Transportation
- If you have a piano, you’re probably concerned about whether or not you’ll be able to bring it with you. The answer is yes, you can move a piano from Illinois to Kentucky. Depending on the kind of piano that you have at home, the only thing you’ll have to worry about is the cost.
- Art and Antiques Movers
- In case you collect art and antiques, it’s likely that you are worried about transporting them with you. These items are fragile and require attention during the moving process — but don’t worry. There are movers who are specialists in moving art and antiques to Kentucky!
- Hot Tub Movers
- Hot tubs are heavy items, but that doesn’t mean that transporting a hot tub from Illinois to Kentucky is not viable. On the contrary, it’ll probably be cheaper for you to transport your hot tub rather than selling it and buying a new one in Kentucky.
- Pool Table Movers
- Like hot tubs, you can also move a pool table from Illinois to Kentucky. However, depending on the mover, it may be cheaper for you to sell your hot tub and buy a new one instead of transporting it to Kentucky.
- Office Movers
- As we mentioned before, there are two main types of movers, and office movers are one of them. In case you’re thinking of relocating an office from Illinois to Kentucky, these are the guys you’ll need to hire.
- Long-Distance Movers
- Long-distance movers are the professionals you’ll need in order to relocate between places that are over 400 miles apart. Depending on the city you’re moving from in Illinois and the city you’re moving to in Kentucky, you’ll need to hire one of these movers.
- Last-Minute Movers
- One of the tips we gave you earlier was that you should hire a mover with some time in advance in order to avoid paying for last-minute moving fees. However, if something comes up and you have to move earlier than expected, you can always rely on last-minute movers!