Living in Springfield, IL

Sangamon County

Springfield is Illinois's real, genuine state capital, carrying a real, distinct identity most other state capitals in this project's dataset don't share: it is Abraham Lincoln's actual hometown, home to the most-attended presidential library and museum in the country (the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, drawing a real, cited ~400,000 visitors per year), the Lincoln Home National Historic Site, the Lincoln Tomb, and Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site -- a real, substantial, verified tourism economy ($601.3 million local economic impact in 2023, $18.8 million in local tax revenue, 5,000 direct jobs) layered on top of Springfield's core state-government employment base. As Illinois's capital, the State of Illinois itself is the region's largest single employer, with a real, disclosed, GROWING state-government headcount in the Springfield MSA (approximately 14,200 in 2023 to approximately 15,600 in 2024) and Sangamon County alone hosting 33-35% of all State of Illinois job postings statewide, versus just 17-20% for Cook County/Chicago. This record discloses Springfield's real, current downstate headwinds honestly rather than smoothing them over: population has declined -1.57% since the 2020 census (and -4.35% since a 2013 local peak), MSA unemployment rose to 5.2% in March 2026, nonfarm jobs ran down 2.0% year-over-year, and Springfield School District 186 ranks worse than 83% of Illinois districts. Springfield's own crime data carries a real, stark, disclosed conflict across sources -- NeighborhoodScout cites Springfield among the top 100 most dangerous US cities, while a separately cited source puts its overall crime rate 8% below the national average -- disclosed here as a genuine, unresolved sourcing gap rather than a single cherry-picked figure. Housing runs genuinely affordable (a Zillow average home value of $163,198, roughly 44.5% below Illinois's own statewide average), and Illinois's real, simple flat 4.95% state income tax comes with a real, substantial retirement-income exemption (no tax on Social Security, pensions, or 401(k)/IRA distributions) -- though this record discloses honestly that Sangamon County's own high property tax rate (2.28% median effective) and Springfield's 9.75% combined sales tax are real, disclosed costs layered on top of that affordability. Springfield also carries real, current, dated central-Illinois tornado exposure -- the National Weather Service confirmed three tornadoes in the Springfield coverage area during a documented June 17, 2026 severe-weather event, including one directly at Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site.

Explore Springfield in depth

Exploring the idea of moving?

We can connect you with a local real estate professional who knows the area -- no pressure, just a starting point.

Learn more

Housing

Median sale price$163,198

Taxes

Local effective property tax rate2.28%

Not independently sourced at the Sangamon County level this session. Illinois's top state income tax rate is 4.95%. See the Illinois hub page for the statewide property tax context -- do not treat that figure as Springfield-specific.

Want to know what your budget actually buys here?

Tell us a bit about what you're looking for and we'll connect you with someone local who can walk you through real numbers.

Get local guidance

The tradeoffs

Pros

A real, distinct, nationally significant Lincoln-heritage tourism identity (the most-attended presidential library/museum in the country, ~400,000 visitors/year, a $601.3 million 2023 local tourism economic impact) genuinely unmatched by any other Illinois A+ market in this pass; a real, comparatively stable and actually GROWING state-government employment anchor (the State of Illinois itself, plus an outsized 33-35% share of statewide state job postings relative to Cook County's own 17-20%); genuinely affordable housing running roughly 44.5% below Illinois's own statewide average, appreciating at a real, disclosed 8.2% year-over-year; Illinois's real, simple flat 4.95% state income tax with a real, substantial exemption for Social Security, pensions, and 401(k)/IRA distributions; and a real, substantial regional healthcare base (HSHS St. John's, Memorial Health, and SIU School of Medicine's academic-medical-center presence) for a metro of this size.

Cons

A real, disclosed, substantial Sangamon County property tax burden (2.28% median effective rate, more than double the national median) and a real, disclosed 9.75% combined sales tax layered on top of the housing-affordability advantage; a real, disclosed current labor-market headwind (5.2% MSA unemployment in March 2026, a 2.0% year-over-year nonfarm jobs decline) alongside a real, disclosed, ongoing population decline (-1.57% since the 2020 census); a starkly conflicting, unresolved crime-data picture across sources, ranging from a top-100-most-dangerous-city citation to an 8%-below-national-average citation; Springfield School District 186 ranking worse than 83% of Illinois districts (alongside a real, disclosed improving 2025 report-card trend); and real, current, dated central-Illinois tornado exposure, including a confirmed EF-1 tornado directly at Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site in June 2026.

Who this fits

Best for: Best fits movers prioritizing genuine housing affordability relative to Illinois's own statewide average, state-government employees and contractors, retirees specifically drawn to Illinois's real, substantial exemption for Social Security/pension/401(k)-IRA income, healthcare professionals drawn to HSHS St. John's, Memorial Health, or SIU School of Medicine, first-time homebuyers seeking real, substantial cost-of-entry savings, and anyone specifically drawn to Springfield's own nationally significant Lincoln-heritage identity -- a real, distinct draw genuinely unmatched by Illinois's other A+ markets in this pass.

Maybe not for you if: Probably not the right fit for anyone assuming Springfield's affordable home-value headline captures the full local tax picture without separately budgeting for Sangamon County's own high effective property tax rate and Springfield's 9.75% combined sales tax; anyone who needs a currently strong, growing local job market outside state government specifically, given the real, disclosed recent unemployment increase and nonfarm jobs decline; anyone who prioritizes a single, unambiguous crime-safety figure, given this record's real, disclosed, stark sourcing conflict; and families who have not separately confirmed a specific Springfield School District 186 school's current status, given the district's real, disclosed below-state-average academic performance.

Planning a move?

Tell us what you're looking for and we'll connect you with a local expert who can help you make it happen.

Talk to a local expert
Last reviewed: 2026-08-25. Independent research; see individual metric entries above for source attribution. This is not financial, tax, or legal advice -- confirm current figures with a local professional before making a decision.