Cook County · Illinois · Midwest · 2.7M residents
Chicago, IL: cost of living, taxes & quality of life
Residential facts for Chicago: housing, taxes, monthly costs, climate, schools, and household income, with the Illinois median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: Curated city row; coverage varies by fact.
The median home value in Chicago is $360,000, 28% above the Illinois median. A two-bedroom rents for about $2,200/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 106 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $71,000 a year.
What the numbers show
Source-confirmed findingsLimited coverage: This profile does not yet have enough source-confirmed local data for a city brief.
This profile does not yet have enough source-confirmed local data for a city brief.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates(2024 ACS 5-year; tables B01003, B15003, B19013, B25077). Geography: Census place where available. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
WhereToHQ calculates the comparisons. Figures are estimates for context, not a guarantee or personal financial advice. Read the methodology or send a correction.
What makes this place distinctive
A factual snapshot of the place, based on the profile data. It is not a tourism or cultural claim.
A lakefront city with big architecture, deep music roots, and a festival season built for summer.
Known for: Architecture, blues, jazz, neighborhood food, museums, and lakefront public space.
Calendar note: Choose Chicago highlights Lollapalooza, the Chicago Blues Festival, and neighborhood street fairs.
Story source: Choose Chicago
- Scale: A major population center with more than one million residents in the profile data.
- Setting: The profile places Chicago about 1 miles from the nearest tracked lake.
- Climate signal: The profile records 189 sunny days.
- Daily pace: The profile records a walk score of 77 and an average commute of 35 minutes.
WhereToHQ derives these signals from the committed city dataset. Read the methodology for coverage and source limits.
Compare Chicago side by side
Cost of living index
106
Median home value
$360,000
2-bedroom rent
$2,200/mo
Median household income
$71,000
Housing momentum
How fast Chicago's housing market is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
82/100
Heating
Ranks Chicago's home-price and rent growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. Not investment or relocation advice.
Adjusted by Chicago's cost-of-living index versus the US average.
| Median home value | $360,000 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $240 |
| Property tax rate | 2.1% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,850/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $2,200/mo |
| State & local income tax | 4.95% |
| Sales tax | 10.25% |
| Cost of living index | 106 |
| Groceries index | 102 |
| Utilities | $155/mo |
| Transit pass | $75/mo |
| Gas price | $3.90/gal |
| Healthcare index | 98 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,500/mo |
| Median household income | $71,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% |
| Population | 2.7M |
| Crime index | 55/100 |
| School rating | 6.0/10 |
| Walkability | 77/100 |
| Disaster risk | 100/100 |
| Avg. commute | 35 min |
| Sunny days / year | 189 days |
| July high | 81°F |
| January low | 20°F |
| Annual snowfall | — |
| Home price YoY | +3.5% |
| Home price MoM | +0.2% |
| Rent YoY | +6.2% |
| Rent MoM | +0.5% |
| Ocean coast | 695 mi |
| Big lake | < 3 mi |
| Mountains | 341 mi |
| Major airport | 9 mi |
| Ski resort | 200 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Cicero, IL · 83k
- Oak Park, IL · 53k
- Berwyn, IL · 56k
- Elmwood Park, IL · 24k
- Hanover Park, IL · 37k
Similar size
- Aurora, IL · 180k
- Naperville, IL · 151k
- Joliet, IL · 150k
- Rockford, IL · 148k
- Elgin, IL · 115k
Real listings in Chicago
Homes on Zillow ↗Realtor.com ↗Rentals on Zillow ↗Apartments.com ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- What is the cost of living in Chicago, IL?
- Chicago indexes at 106 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $2,200/mo and a median home value of $360,000.
- How much does a house cost in Chicago?
- The median home value in Chicago is $360,000, 28% above the Illinois median (compiled estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Chicago?
- A two-bedroom in Chicago rents for about $2,200/mo.