Illinois to Tennessee
Moving from Illinois to Tennessee
Reviewers who moved from Illinois to Tennessee paid a median $5,129. 10,866 people made the move in 2024, and 3,992 went the other way. Chicago to Nashville, the most common run in our file, is 468 miles.
Anthony BaleMoving industry professional, author and writerReviewed 23 September 2026
Reviewers paid
$5,129
median, 17 priced reviews
Moved last year
10,866
IL to TN, 2024
Typical drive
468 mi
Chicago to Nashville
Cost of living
-8.1%
TN vs IL, US = 100
Sources: Haulest licensed review file (MoveAdvisor), 29 Oct 2026 (reviewer-reported); US Census Bureau, ACS state-to-state migration, 2024; OSRM on OpenStreetMap data (driving route); BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
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Now tap where you are moving to.
Illinois to Tennessee · median paid
$5,129
17 reviewed moves
468 road miles
Median and middle half of what 17 reviewers paid on this lane. A mover's written estimate is what counts.
What it costs
Illinois to Tennessee moving cost
Across 17 priced reviews of moves from Illinois to Tennessee, the median was $5,129 and the middle half paid $1,700 to $6,528. Home sizes and distances are mixed; the table below is by size.
Planning ranges for 400 to 1,000 miles moves, by home size, as of September 2026. Research fallback, not a first-party median and not a bid.
| Home size | Full-service range |
|---|---|
| Studio | $1,800 to $3,400 |
| 1 bedroom | $2,400 to $4,300 |
| 2 bedroom | $3,200 to $5,600 |
| 3 bedroom | $4,300 to $7,600 |
| 4+ bedroom | $5,600 to $9,800 |
Source: Haulest research bands, September 2026 (band set by the Chicago to Nashville drive).
Live numbers: US on-highway diesel $6.35 per gallon for the week of 2026-10-26 (EIA weekly US on-highway diesel via FRED GASDESW). A fuel surcharge on a long lane follows the diesel line; ask how the mover sets it.
Recent reviews
People who moved Illinois to Tennessee
5 of 5 · 13 Jun 2025 · reported $6,528
“This was my third move in five years, and this crew stood out. They didn’t act rushed or careless, which I’ve dealt with before. They wrapped up the furniture properly and didn’t damage any walls or doorways. I didn’t have to micromanage they asked questions where needed and stayed organized.”
5 of 5 · 17 May 2025 · reported $3,000
“US Express Moving Systems exceeded my expectations during my cross-country relocation. Their team was prompt, diligent, and handled my possessions with exceptional care, as though they were their own. The rates were reasonable, and the coordination throughout the move reflected true…”
1 of 5 · 6 Jan 2025 · reported $9,000
“They subcontracted our mover to Sala moving out of New Jersey. They severely underestimated my load & movers left a large amount of my possessions in front yard & drove off. Sala forced me to take possession 18 days before contracted and lost several items. It was a nightmare dealing with both…”
Who makes this move
Illinois taxes wages. Tennessee does not tax wages.
Census counts the Illinois to Tennessee move. In 2024, 10,866 people moved from Illinois to Tennessee, with a margin of plus or minus 3,232. The reverse count is 3,992. Those are household moves in the Census file, not quotes from movers, and they do not say why anyone left. The file records the count and the margin. It does not record a motive.
Prices and wage tax sit differently at each end. BEA price parity for 2024 sets the United States at 100. Illinois reads 100.0. Tennessee reads 91.9. Illinois taxes wages. Tennessee does not tax wages. That is the tax shape of the move, not a rate and not a reason anyone packed a truck.
What the job looks like
It is 468 miles, about 9 hours behind the wheel.
The most common run in our file is Chicago to Nashville. It is 468 miles, about 9 hours behind the wheel. That is a long day if you drive it yourself. Once a crew loads, rolls, and unloads, count extra days on the road beyond the drive time. Plan the calendar for that, not only the hours in the seat.
The price file on this lane is small. We have 17 reviews, and they mix home sizes and distances. A long-distance move is priced by weight and miles, not by how tired the driver looks at the state line. Price your own weight and miles. Ask for the weight and the mileage on the estimate before you compare it with anything you read here.
Delivery is a window written on the order. On a long-distance order the mover sets a delivery window on the order for service. Ask for that window in writing before you book, and keep the same dates in mind when you plan keys and time off. A late truck is a paperwork problem first: the window on the order is the date you can point to.
Before you book
On a non-binding estimate the mover must deliver on payment of 110 percent of the estimate.
Check the license before you pay. An interstate household move needs a mover with an active USDOT number and FMCSA household-goods authority. Haulest is not a carrier and does not book the truck. Run the number through the license check and read the authority line, not just the slogan on the truck.
Get the estimate type in writing. Ask whether the price is binding or not-to-exceed, and read every line for weight, miles, and services. On a non-binding estimate the mover must deliver on payment of 110 percent of the estimate. That is the 110 percent rule. Put the delivery window on the same paperwork so the dates are not a verbal promise.
Ask what the deposit buys. Deposit terms should say how much is due, when it is due, and what happens if you cancel. Read that page of the order before you send money, and match it to the deposit guide. Keep the USDOT number, the estimate type, the 110 percent line, the delivery window, and the deposit terms in one place you can open on move day.
Leaving Illinois, arriving in Tennessee.
| Illinois | Tennessee | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living (US = 100) | 100.0 | 91.9 |
| Median home sale price | $337,900 | $413,200 |
| Median days on market | 43 | 61 |
| State income tax on wages | Taxes wages | No tax on wages |
| People who moved in 2024 | 3,992 arrived from Tennessee | 10,866 arrived from Illinois |
Sources: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024; Data provided by Redfin, a national real estate brokerage, read 1 Oct 2026; State revenue departments (wage tax, 2026); US Census Bureau, ACS, 2024.
When to go: in Illinois, the busiest month for home sales over the last year was Jun 2025 and the quietest was Jan 2026. Movers fill up on the same calendar. Check your date.
Source: Data provided by Redfin, a national real estate brokerage (Illinois homes sold by month).
Doing it yourself
Driving a rental truck from Illinois to Tennessee
468 road miles, about 9 hours at the wheel (1 driving day at nine hours a day). Fuel below uses this week's EIA price and the low end of each brand's mpg, because a loaded truck does worse than the brochure.
- Studio10 to 12 ft truckFuel $167 to $251gasoline
- 1 or 2 bedroom15 to 16 ft truckFuel $167 to $334gasoline
- 3 bedroom20 to 22 ft truckFuel $200 to $226gas or diesel, by brand
- 4 bedroom26 ft truckFuel $226 to $367gas or diesel, by brand
For comparison: reviewers who hired full-service movers on Illinois to Tennessee moves paid a median $5,129 (17 priced reviews). The truck line above is fuel only: add the rental, mileage or days, coverage, equipment, tolls, a night on the road, and your time.
Sources: Brand spec pages (U-Haul, Penske, Budget) (mpg and fuel type); US EIA weekly retail prices (week of 19 Oct 2026); OSRM on OpenStreetMap data (road miles).
Ask out loud
Questions people ask
- How many people moved from Illinois to Tennessee?
- The Census ACS 2024 count is 10,866 people, with a margin of plus or minus 3,232. The reverse flow, Tennessee to Illinois, is 3,992. Those figures are a headcount, and they do not record a motive.
- How far is the common run?
- The most common run in our file is Chicago to Nashville. It is 468 miles, about 9 hours of driving. Crew time for loading and unloading sits on top of that drive.
- How do living costs and wage taxes compare?
- BEA price parity for 2024 uses the United States as 100, with Illinois at 100.0 and Tennessee at 91.9. Illinois taxes wages, and Tennessee does not tax wages. We do not give a rate.
- What is the 110 percent rule on a non-binding estimate?
- On a non-binding estimate the mover must deliver on payment of 110 percent of the estimate. That rule is about delivery and payment, not about whether the price was binding. Ask which estimate type you are signing before you rely on it.
- What should I have in writing before I book?
- You want an active USDOT number, FMCSA household-goods authority, the estimate type, the delivery window, and the deposit terms. Haulest is not a carrier and does not book the truck. If the estimate is not binding, read the 110 percent payment rule before you send a deposit.
Next
Keep going
- Moving in IllinoisWho regulates the move, and the top-rated movers there.
- Moving in TennesseeWho regulates the move, and the top-rated movers there.
- Long distance moversWeight, miles, and where the bill grows.
- What movers costNational medians by year and lane.
- The 110% ruleWhat you can be made to pay on delivery day.
About Anthony Bale
A moving industry professional, author and writer. Anthony has been at different positions in the industry for the last 10 years, gaining significant knowledge on the relocation process. He himself has moved 6 times already, which helped him explore the other side of the moving process.
At Haulest he writes the US cost, hiring, and rights pages, reading the licensed review file every week so the numbers on the page are the numbers people reported.
Call for a written Illinois to Tennessee quote
From, then To. Date and home size after that. A person on the phone is faster if you already know the dates.
+1 (866) 961-9682Free moving quoteHaulest is not a carrier. We connect you to movers.
Haulest is a research desk and quote line. We are not a carrier.