I lived just outside of Houston for four years, and while the Texas sales tax is Texas-sized, property tax in Texas is about half of that from Illinois. And every state adds hidden taxes disguised as "fees" that add to the burden, but there is a reason
Kiplingers ranks Illinois as the least tax friendly state for middle income earners, and the burden only rises as incomes levels rise.
I live in NH now, and the tax burden (especially for retirees like me
) is ludicrous as everything is loaded on property taxes here. Politicians tout the "NH Tax Advantage" when in reality they shift almost 100% of the tax burden on property owners. It's enough for me to look at going back to either Texas or Florida.