Want to live and work in Illinois?

Chicago is expensive, but not as expensive as New York or San Francisco. A one-bedroom apartment in good neighborhoods (River North, Lincoln Park, Wicker Park) rents for $1,800 to $2,400. In more distant neighborhoods (Logan Square, Ravenswood), $1,400 to $1,700. Suburbs vary by proximity to downtown and school quality.

Outside Chicago, Illinois is much more affordable. Cities like Peoria, Rockford, Champaign, and Bloomington have rentals starting from $800. Suburban homes in mid-sized cities cost $200,000 to $350,000. Gas and energy are at or slightly below the national average.

Illinois has a flat state income tax (4.95%), which is considered high compared to states with no income tax. Property taxes are among the highest in the US, especially in Chicago-area counties (Cook). Combined sales tax in Chicago exceeds 10%. Well-established families can live comfortably; those just starting out need to research carefully.

Chicago is one of the leading financial centers in the world. CME Group (futures market, successor to the Chicago Board of Trade) is the world's largest derivatives exchange, trading contracts on grains, oil, interest rates, and currencies. Banks like JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs, and consulting firms, have large operations there.

Companies headquartered in Chicago or the region include McDonald's (Chicago), United Airlines (Chicago), Walgreens (Deerfield), State Farm (Bloomington), Caterpillar (Peoria), Allstate (Northbrook), Boeing (headquarters moved to Arlington, Virginia, but operations continue), and Mondelez. The pharmaceutical and food industries are also strong.

Agriculture is a historic sector in the central and southern state. Illinois produces corn and soybeans on a large scale. Technology is growing in Chicago, especially fintech (1871, Salesforce, and Google have offices). The University of Chicago and Northwestern drive research and biotechnology. Healthcare and education are also pillars.

Chicago has some of the best hospitals in the US. Northwestern Memorial, the University of Chicago Medical Center, Rush University Medical Center, and Lurie Children's Hospital (pediatrics) all rank in national listings. The city is a destination for patients from across the Midwest seeking specialized treatment.

The model is the standard American one: employer-provided health insurance. Family premiums of $1,300 to $1,800, with the employer covering part. Illinois expanded Medicaid under the ACA, so low-income families have better access than in more conservative states. Documented immigrants qualify after a waiting period.

The issue is rural Illinois: several counties in the southern part of the state have hospitals closing and a shortage of doctors. In Chicago and suburbs, Brazilian and Hispanic doctors serve specific communities (Lincoln Square, Mexican neighborhoods). Community clinics (FQHCs) charge on a sliding-fee scale for those without insurance.

Chicago is one of the few American cities where you can live well without a car. The CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) operates an elevated metro (eight lines, known as the L) and buses throughout the city. Metra regional trains connect Chicago to the suburbs. Ride-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft are omnipresent.

O'Hare Airport (ORD) is one of the largest and busiest in the world, a hub for United Airlines and American Airlines, with direct flights to every continent (including Sao Paulo). Midway (MDW) is the city's second airport, mainly used by Southwest Airlines for domestic flights.

Outside Chicago, a car is essential. Interstate highways (I-90, I-94, I-55, I-57) cross the state. Amtrak trains (Union Station) connect Chicago to several American cities, including St. Louis, Detroit, Milwaukee, and distant cities like Los Angeles and Seattle. Interstate buses cover regional routes.

Chicago is one of the culturally richest cities in the US. It is the birthplace of Chicago blues (Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, Howlin' Wolf) and an important part of jazz history. Legendary comedians came out of Second City: Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, Bill Murray, Steve Carell. Music, theater, and stand-up are woven into the urban fabric.

Chicago food is iconic. Deep-dish pizza (thick Chicago-style pizza), Chicago-style hot dog (with cucumber, mustard, onion, green relish, tomato, and celery salt, but never ketchup), Italian beef sandwich, and cheese-and-caramel popcorn (Garrett Popcorn). Ethnic neighborhoods offer excellent cooking: Polish, Mexican, Vietnamese, Indian, Ethiopian.

Sports carry enormous weight: the Bulls, Bears, Cubs, White Sox, and Blackhawks dominate conversations. Chicago architecture is a world reference: the birthplace of the modern skyscraper, with works by Frank Lloyd Wright (Oak Park), Mies van der Rohe, and Skidmore Owings & Merrill. Museums like the Art Institute and the Field Museum are world class.

Illinois is home to roughly 1.9 million people born outside the United States, more than 14% of the state's population. The vast majority live in the Chicago metro area. Mexicans form the largest community and dominate Pilsen, Little Village, and the neighboring city of Cicero, with markets, bakeries, and bilingual schools lining Cermak Road. Poles are the second largest origin and have made Chicago the largest Polish community outside Poland, anchored in Avondale, Jefferson Park, and the northwest suburbs. Indians cluster on Devon Avenue, in West Ridge, where sari shops, vegetarian restaurants, and Hindu temples sit side by side. The South Side Chinatown, one of the oldest in the country, remains active, and Filipinos have a steady presence in Albany Park and across the suburbs. Smaller cities like Aurora, Joliet, Waukegan, Elgin, and Rockford also host established Hispanic communities, many tied to industry and agribusiness.

Chicago has one of the largest consular networks in the interior of the country, with consulates-general of Mexico, Poland, India, China, the Philippines, Korea, El Salvador, Guatemala, Lithuania, and many others. The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) coordinates dozens of grassroots organizations. The Polish American Association offers English classes and newcomer services. The Indo-American Center, in West Ridge, serves South Asian families. Asian Americans Advancing Justice Chicago provides legal aid in more than ten languages. Community clinics and pro bono law offices operate in Spanish, Polish, Mandarin, Hindi, and Tagalog in nearly every immigrant neighborhood.