Residential comparison · 13 facts
Chicago, IL vs Columbus, OH
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 Chicago needs about $71,000 in Columbus to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Columbus, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $99,000 in Chicago.
A few differences
- Columbus is lower on property tax rate (1.9% vs 2.1%).
- Columbus is lower on sales tax (7.5% vs 10.25%).
- Columbus is lower on groceries index (96 vs 102).
Chicago vs Columbus · facet by facet
| Facet | Chicago, IL | Columbus, OH |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $360,000 | $280,000 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $2,200/mo | $1,500/mo |
| Property tax rate | 2.1% | 1.9% |
| State & local income tax | 4.95% | 4.41% |
| Sales tax | 10.25% | 7.5% |
| Cost of living index | 106 | 92 |
| Groceries index | 102 | 96 |
| Utilities | $155/mo | $165/mo |
| Median household income | $71,000 | $62,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 4% |
| Crime index | 55/100 | 48/100 |
| School rating | 6.0/10 | 6.0/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 189 days | 179 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: Chicago, IL · Columbus, OH
Questions & answers
- Is Chicago cheaper than Columbus?
- Columbus has the lower day-to-day cost index (92 vs 106 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Columbus equals $85,000 in Chicago?
- A household earning $85,000 in Chicago needs about $71,000 in Columbus to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Columbus lifestyle costs about $99,000 in Chicago.