?WhereToHQ

Residential comparison · 13 facts

Berwyn, IL vs Chicago, IL

Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.

A household earning $85,000 in Berwyn needs about $99,500 in Chicago to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Chicago, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $70,500 in Berwyn.

A few differences

Berwyn vs Chicago · facet by facet
FacetBerwyn, ILChicago, IL
Median home price$299,800$360,000
2-bedroom rent$1,324/mo$2,200/mo
Property tax rate2.1%2.1%
State & local income tax4.95%4.95%
Sales tax8.85%10.25%
Cost of living index94106
Groceries index98102
Utilities$165/mo$155/mo
Median household income$78,408$71,000
Unemployment rate4.7%5.3%
Crime index50/10055/100
School rating6.3/106.0/10
Sunny days / year190 days189 days

Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.

Full profiles: Berwyn, IL · Chicago, IL
Questions & answers
Is Berwyn cheaper than Chicago?
Berwyn has the lower day-to-day cost index (94 vs 106 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
What household income in Chicago equals $85,000 in Berwyn?
A household earning $85,000 in Berwyn needs about $99,500 in Chicago to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Chicago lifestyle costs about $70,500 in Berwyn.