Normal/Bloomington, Illinois (Chicago, Springfield: home, income, property tax)

[Pryde1]

Originally Posted by TomDewey123

We are coming from Western North Carolina.

Funny we are relocating to WNC. Very glad to swap areas with you

[damba]

Originally Posted by TomDewey123

We are coming from Western North Carolina.

Ashville is quite nice

[damba]

Originally Posted by Tonya0210

I've lived in Il my whole life. IT SUCKS HERE. Taxes are outrageous! And yes there are a lot of tornadoes! We just had 4 the other night that wiped out a few towns. Schools are terrible, they pretty much teach you like you are in military school. We are so broke here-Chicago gets everything. They are cracking down on a lot of stuff that doesn't even matter. Bunch of nit picking. I'm looking into relocating my family in June this year

LOL What the heck schools are you referring to??

"Cracking down on a lot of stuff that doesn't even matter"

What does that even mean?

[martowski]

I worked in Bloomington for a number of years and lived nearby. I also grew up in that area.


1. Don't worry about the tornadoes. If you're not accustomed to them it can be a scary thought, and yes... the idea of getting hit by a tornado is horrifying. But most likely it will never happen to you. In 40 years of living in that area, I never once lived in a house that had tornado damage. People over-think this if they aren't from the Midwest, but you'll have tornadoes pretty much in any state across the area and it's likely going to be a non-factor for you.
2. Bloomington Normal housing is more affordable now than it was about 5 years ago. A MAJOR employer in the town isn't moving people into the area like they were a few years ago, which has cooled the housing market. Keep in mind the entire economy and housing market is based primarily on what that one company does.
3. Bloomington Normal is a nice area and a nice place to raise kids. It's more "white collar" than Peoria which is nearby. Nice to be only a couple hours from Chicago, a couple from St. Louis, and a couple from Indianapolis as well. You can take the train from Bloomington all the way to downtown Chicago, it's a fun trip with family and kids tend to enjoy it.
4. Coming from NC, the amount of snow possible in the winters may be a shock to you. Some winters there is hardly any. Some you may have a couple feet... it's can go either way. Regardless, if you've never experienced wind chill factors at -15 degrees you will. :-)


I now live in Texas, but again worked in Bloomington for several years. Unit 5 schools tend to get good reviews, but I've heard Tri-Valley is the best district around (it would be a little east of town).

[TomDewey123]

The Wall Street Journal has been panning Illinois for its high rate of taxation for the previous few months with the most recent editorial appearing today. Is the taxation on property (etc) high throughout Illinois or is it limited to urban areas such as Chicago?

[cuja1]

Originally Posted by TomDewey123

The Wall Street Journal has been panning Illinois for its high rate of taxation for the previous few months with the most recent editorial appearing today. Is the taxation on property (etc) high throughout Illinois or is it limited to urban areas such as Chicago?

I'm not sure. I live in Springfield. My house is appraised at around $80,000 and I pay about $1,200/year. My parents have a house appraised around $200,000 and I think they pay about $4,500/year.

[RisingAurvandil]

Originally Posted by TomDewey123

The Wall Street Journal has been panning Illinois for its high rate of taxation for the previous few months with the most recent editorial appearing today. Is the taxation on property (etc) high throughout Illinois or is it limited to urban areas such as Chicago?

Hit and miss, but taxes are generally lower throughout Downstate Illinois. When I lived east of StL, sales taxes were about 8% and property taxes were about 2k on a 100k home. It didn't feel bad. Income taxes in IL were half of the Missouri tax rate, which benefits higher earners. Plus, IL does not levy personal property tax.

However, folks in Chicago are hit with a double whammy: higher taxes and higher cost-of-living than Downstate.

[damba]

Originally Posted by TomDewey123

The Wall Street Journal has been panning Illinois for its high rate of taxation for the previous few months with the most recent editorial appearing today. Is the taxation on property (etc) high throughout Illinois or is it limited to urban areas such as Chicago?

What would be more useful for you, is to peruse zillow or redfin, pick a few various suburbs and compare the listed taxes on specific properties similar to what you have in mind downstate. It can vary by county, municipality, as well as by specific property.

The bottom line is your 'net', not any specific tax rate, obviously. For everyone it will be a little different. This means you do the due diligence

[Absodamnposilutely]

I moved to Bloomington from Virginia last April. I absolutely LOVE it here. I got an adorable house in a good area only a mile from the office. In Central Virginia, I had to live 45 minutes from work in order to be able to afford a house. I have fallen in love with Bloomington and for some reason, it feels like this is where I belong. Now if I could just get my daughter to move here, it would be PERFECT!

[TomDewey123]

This is so helpful! Thanks a bunch, I really appreciate the information.

Originally Posted by martowski

I worked in Bloomington for a number of years and lived nearby. I also grew up in that area.


1. Don't worry about the tornadoes. If you're not accustomed to them it can be a scary thought, and yes... the idea of getting hit by a tornado is horrifying. But most likely it will never happen to you. In 40 years of living in that area, I never once lived in a house that had tornado damage. People over-think this if they aren't from the Midwest, but you'll have tornadoes pretty much in any state across the area and it's likely going to be a non-factor for you.
2. Bloomington Normal housing is more affordable now than it was about 5 years ago. A MAJOR employer in the town isn't moving people into the area like they were a few years ago, which has cooled the housing market. Keep in mind the entire economy and housing market is based primarily on what that one company does.
3. Bloomington Normal is a nice area and a nice place to raise kids. It's more "white collar" than Peoria which is nearby. Nice to be only a couple hours from Chicago, a couple from St. Louis, and a couple from Indianapolis as well. You can take the train from Bloomington all the way to downtown Chicago, it's a fun trip with family and kids tend to enjoy it.
4. Coming from NC, the amount of snow possible in the winters may be a shock to you. Some winters there is hardly any. Some you may have a couple feet... it's can go either way. Regardless, if you've never experienced wind chill factors at -15 degrees you will. :-)


I now live in Texas, but again worked in Bloomington for several years. Unit 5 schools tend to get good reviews, but I've heard Tri-Valley is the best district around (it would be a little east of town).