Dupage Policy Journal

State Rep. Amy Grant (R-Wheaton) has grown weary of the place that Illinois has become.

“Illinois has been named the least tax-friendly state in the country for middle-class families,” Grant recently posted on Facebook. “Enough is enough. We can’t keep taxing people out of Illinois. Instead, we have to make our state a destination for growth.”

Kiplinger.com editors came to their findings by estimating the overall income, sales, and property tax burden in each state for a hypothetical married couple with two children, combined wages of $77,000, $3,000 of other income, and a $300,000 home.

“Sorry, Illinois, but you're the least tax-friendly state in the country for middle-class families,” Kiplinger said in a State-by-State Guide to Middle-Class Families posted to its website. “For all three taxes we're tracking – income, sales, and property taxes – you tax middle-income residents at an above average rate (at least). “

Researchers argue the state's 4.95% flat income tax rate can be misleading, as it doesn't seem that steep when compared to other states' top tax rates, at least where the state’s most affluent residents are concerned.

“But for middle-class taxpayers, the income tax rate is on the high end,” they note.

The same holds true for property taxes, with Illinois being home to the second-highest rates in the country. Researchers note if the aforementioned hypothetical family were to purchase a $300,000 home in the state, their average annual property tax bill would be a staggering $6,495.

As for sales taxes, with the average combined state and local rate across the state set at 8.83%, Illinois has the seventh-highest combined sales tax rate in the country.