Moving from Illinois to Texas: What Chicago-Area Transplants Need to Know About Central Texas

Sources: Illinois Department of Revenue; Tax Foundation, Facts and Figures 2026 (2024 data); Texas Comptroller; NOAA/National Weather Service 1991–2020 normals for Camp Mabry; Southwest Airlines; KSAT. Figures current as of October 2026.

Moving from Illinois to Texas and looking at Central Texas? Most of the choices come down to the Austin suburbs, the I-35 corridor, and the Hill Country towns between Austin and San Antonio. If you're coming from Naperville, Schaumburg, the North Shore, the South Side, or downstate, this guide answers what you're actually asking before you sign anything. If you already know what you want day to day, our Find Your Town quiz matches those priorities to specific Central Texas towns in a few minutes.

Let's start with the part most relocation articles skip. Texas is not automatically cheaper, and it is not a lateral move culturally. You will trade snow shovels for a summer that runs from late May into September, and your property tax bill will still sting. But for a lot of working households the math can work, the winters are a gift, and you can now get a Chicago dog with sport peppers off I-35 without driving to Dallas.

The Honest Case Against Moving (Read This First)

The pitch you've heard is "no income tax." Here's what the pitch leaves out.

• Texas property taxes are high, too. In the Tax Foundation's Facts and Figures 2026, Illinois had the second-highest effective property tax rate on owner-occupied homes at 1.88 percent, and Texas ranked seventh at 1.40 percent. The national figure was 0.90 percent. Texas funds local government and schools with property taxes instead of an income tax, and new subdivisions in Central Texas often add a MUD (Municipal Utility District) or PID (Public Improvement District) assessment on top of the base rate.
• If you're retired, the income tax savings may be near zero. Illinois already exempts Social Security, qualified pensions, and 401(k) and IRA withdrawals from state income tax. A retiree living on those sources pays little or no Illinois income tax today, so Texas's no-income-tax advantage does far less for them than for a two-income household with W-2 wages.
• The heat is not a talking point. Normal highs sit at 90 or above from late May to late September, and that shapes your daily routine for four months a year.

Illinois vs. Texas Taxes: The Side-by-Side

Here's how Illinois vs. Texas taxes compare for a typical household. The short version: Texas collects nothing on your paycheck, less on most purchases, and nothing on most groceries, then makes up much of the difference through property taxes.

Sources: Illinois Department of Revenue; Tax Foundation Facts and Figures 2026 (Table 33, 2024 data); Texas Comptroller exemptions guide; Texas Comptroller grocery guide. Property tax rates are statewide effective averages; your bill depends on county, school district, and any MUD or PID.

What the income tax savings look like

A married couple with $150,000 in wages pays roughly $7,100 a year in Illinois income tax: 4.95 percent of what's left after the 2025 personal exemption of $2,850 per person. In Texas, that line goes to zero. That's real money, but compare it against the property tax bill on the specific home you're considering before you count it as savings.

The homestead exemption is your best friend

Texas voters approved Proposition 13 in November 2025, raising the school district homestead exemption from $100,000 to $140,000. Homeowners 65 and older or disabled get an additional $60,000, for $200,000 total, and their school taxes are generally capped at the level of the year they qualify. Separately, the appraised value of any homestead can't be raised more than 10 percent a year for tax purposes. None of it is automatic: file with your county appraisal district, generally by April 30 of the tax year. If you buy after January 1, you may still qualify for part of that year.

Weather: You're Trading Snow for Heat

This is the biggest lifestyle change for anyone moving from Chicago to Austin or San Antonio, so here it is without the sales gloss.

• Summer: Austin averaged about 29 days a year at or above 100°F from 1991 to 2020 (Camp Mabry), and the normal August high is 98. Normal highs stay at 90 or above from late May to late September. You'll run errands early, swim a lot, and learn to love a shaded patio.
• Winter: The normal January high is about 62. Camp Mabry sees about 12 sub-freezing days a year, and freezing rain, sleet, or snow affects the Austin area about once every two years. Compare that with a normal January high of 32 and about 38 inches of snow a year at O'Hare.
• The asterisk: when a hard freeze does hit, it can be serious. The February 2021 winter storm brought 6.4 inches of snow to Austin, and the Texas Department of State Health Services counted 246 deaths statewide. Insulate exposed pipes and know where your water shutoff is.
• Other things no one mentions: cedar fever, the mountain cedar allergy season that starts in mid-December, peaks in mid-January, and tapers off by early March; fire ants; and flash flooding in Hill Country creeks. Our guide to what nobody tells you about moving to Central Texas covers all of it.

Sources: National Weather Service Austin climate summary; NOAA 1991–2020 normals for Camp Mabry and O'Hare; Texas DSHS winter storm mortality report; Texas A&M Forest Service on cedar fever.

Culture: More Midwestern Than You'd Think

Illinois transplants are often surprised by how familiar parts of Central Texas feel. New Braunfels was founded by German settlers in 1845, and its November Wurstfest (Nov. 6–15 in 2026) would feel right at home in a Chicago neighborhood with German or Polish roots. People are friendly in the same no-fuss way, Friday night high school football is a genuine community event, and you'll get used to "y'all" faster than you expect.

What's different: you'll drive more and walk less, since most of Central Texas was built around the car. H-E-B replaces Jewel-Osco and Mariano's. Tex-Mex and barbecue replace tavern-style thin crust as the default comfort food. And a Saturday on the river replaces a Saturday at the lake.

Hometown Cravings: Portillo's in Texas and Beyond

Good news first: Portillo's in Texas is no longer a Dallas-only thing.

• Schertz (open now): Portillo's opened its Schertz restaurant on June 9, 2026, at 18678 I-35 N, between San Antonio and New Braunfels. Italian beef, Chicago dogs, cheese fries, chocolate cake shake. It's the first one in the San Antonio area. See our Schertz community guide.
• New Braunfels (planned): A Portillo's is planned at 2807 Sophie Lane. The state construction filing lists a November 2, 2026 start, but Portillo's hasn't announced an opening date as of October 2026.
• Austin side: no Austin-area Portillo's is open as of October 2026. A 2025 state filing listed a site in Del Valle, but Portillo's own directory doesn't show it. Check the Portillo's store locator for what's open near you.
• Local Chicago spots: in Austin, Wrigleyville South Dogs & Beef on South Lamar serves Vienna Beef dogs and Italian beef, and Nefesh Pizza makes bake-at-home deep dish. In San Antonio, try Chicago Hot Dogs on Jones Maltsberger Road or JK Chicago Dogs on San Pedro Avenue.
• Shipped to your door: Lou Malnati's and Giordano's have no Texas restaurants, but both ship: Lou Malnati's through Tastes of Chicago and Giordano's as frozen pies. Portillo's ships Italian beef kits, hot dog kits and chocolate cake through its nationwide shipping shop. In 2021, before its first Texas restaurant opened, Portillo's CEO said Texas was the No. 1 state it shipped to, so you're in good company.

Streaming the Bears, Cubs and White Sox from Texas

Here's the good news: because Chicago teams are out-of-market in Central Texas, most of their games are easy to stream.

Cubs and White Sox: MLB.TV

Central Texas is Rangers and Astros television territory, which makes the Cubs and White Sox out-of-market here. That means their regular broadcasts (Marquee for the Cubs, CHSN for the Sox) stream on MLB.TV, which ESPN now sells. The 2026 season price was $149.99, or $134.99 for ESPN Unlimited subscribers. Two exceptions:

• Games against the Rangers or Astros are blacked out on MLB.TV, because those teams are local. The upside: those are the games you can drive to see in Arlington or Houston.
• National exclusives on networks and streamers air only on that national outlet.

We checked MLB's blackout data for ZIP codes in Austin, Georgetown, Cedar Park, Kyle, San Marcos, New Braunfels, Schertz, San Antonio and Boerne, and every one returned only the Astros and Rangers. Run your own ZIP through MLB's blackout tool before you subscribe.

Bears: NFL Sunday Ticket

Bears Sunday afternoon games that your local CBS or FOX station isn't carrying stream on NFL Sunday Ticket through YouTube or YouTube TV. Sunday Ticket doesn't include those local broadcasts or the prime-time windows (Sunday, Monday, and Thursday nights), which air on their national partners. Pricing varies a lot depending on whether you're a new or returning subscriber, so shop it before the season.

Getting Home for the Holidays (and Hosting Family)

Chicago is an easy trip from Central Texas: Austin and San Antonio both fly nonstop to O'Hare and Midway. Whether you're moving from Chicago to San Antonio or Austin, you're about two and a half hours from home by air.

Sources: Austin-Bergstrom and San Antonio International nonstop destination lists; Southwest average scheduled flight times. Neither airport lists a nonstop to a downstate Illinois airport. Routes change seasonally; confirm before booking.

• Holiday tip: book Thanksgiving and Christmas flights early, and price both Midway and O'Hare before you pick.
• By train: Amtrak's Texas Eagle runs daily between Chicago and San Antonio, with stops in Austin and San Marcos. It's an overnight trip of more than a day (the 2:10 p.m. departure from Chicago reaches Austin at 7:22 p.m. the next evening on the current timetable), but it's a great way for grandparents who'd rather not fly.
• By car: Chicago to Austin is roughly 1,100 to 1,200 miles depending on route. Most people split it over two long days.
• Hosting family: the best visiting season is October through April, when your Chicago relatives will be thrilled to sit outside in January. Summer visits work too, as long as they include a river or a pool.

Where Illinois Transplants Land in Central Texas

Where you land usually depends on where you'll work, which airport you'll use for trips home, and how much space you want. Here's a starting list, from north of Austin to the San Antonio side.

Your First 90 Days in Texas: The Checklist

• Driver license: transfer your Illinois license to Texas within 90 days of moving at a Texas DPS office. Book the appointment early; slots fill.
• Vehicles: register within 30 days through your county tax assessor-collector. You don't have to retitle an Illinois-titled vehicle in Texas to register it. See TxDMV's new-to-Texas guide.
• Inspection: Texas eliminated annual safety inspections for personal vehicles on Jan. 1, 2025. Travis and Williamson counties still require emissions testing, and Bexar County joins the emissions list on Nov. 1, 2026. Every non-commercial vehicle pays a $7.50 inspection program replacement fee at registration.
• Homestead exemption: file with your county appraisal district after you buy, generally by April 30.
• Not buying yet? Renting for your first year lets you test a commute and a summer before you commit. Our guide to renting vs. buying in Central Texas walks through the trade-offs.
• Voter registration: register in your new county at least 30 days before an election. VoteTexas.gov has the details.
• Utilities: your electric provider depends on your address. Austin Energy, CPS Energy, New Braunfels Utilities, and rural co-ops each serve different areas.
• Final Illinois return: for the year you move, you'll file a part-year resident IL-1040 with Schedule NR.