California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS) vs Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF)
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS) (B) and Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) (A) are close on the LakeQuality rubric. Funding ratios sit at 73% and 81% respectively — within a few points of each other.
With grades this close, the comparison turns on plan-specific factors: status (active vs frozen), participant maturity, sponsor financial health, and multi-year trajectory rather than the headline composite.
Verdict
Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 80/100 (A) compared to California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS) at 73/100 (B). Funding ratios differ by 8.3 percentage points (81.2% vs 72.9%). Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) covers 438,000 participants.
| Metric | California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS) | Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 73/100 (B) | 80/100 (A)* |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 72.9% | 81.2%* |
| Total Assets | $318.0B | $51.2B |
| Total Liabilities | $436.0B | $63.1B* |
| Unfunded Liability | $118.0B | $11.9B* |
| Participants | 985,000 | 438,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 6.2%* | 5.8% |
| Plan Type | public | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | moderate | low |
| Sponsor | State of California | State of Illinois |
Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 80/100 (A) compared to California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS) at 73/100 (B). Funding ratios differ by 8.3 percentage points (81.2% vs 72.9%). Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) covers 438,000 participants.