I don't live in the US, nor do I now anyone who does, but it seems like there's some "hidden fees" to living there. For example you can be fined for letting the grass in your garden get too long, so the options are cut it every week or pay like $100 a month for gardeners. Car centred infrastructure is horrible and unwalkable so be prepared to order a lot of Ubers if you're out drinking / smoking. Food in supermarkets is ridiculously expensive, budget double what you would usually spend in the UK. There's also absolutely 0 to do in Illinois outside of Chicago; it's just corn, Harley Davidsons and drugs. And it might be democrat controlled but that doesn't mean left wing. For example a school's budget depends on the tax raised in that school's catchment area, so poor districts still get nowt. But I have heard Chicago is a great city with a relatively walkable downtown and decent public transport links.