Residential comparison · 13 facts
Chicago, IL vs Denver, CO
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 $79,500 in Denver to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Denver, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $90,500 in Chicago.
A few differences
- Denver is lower on property tax rate (0.5% vs 2.1%).
- Denver is lower on sales tax (8.8% vs 10.25%).
- Denver is higher on median household income ($85,000 vs $71,000).
Chicago vs Denver · facet by facet
| Facet | Chicago, IL | Denver, CO |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $360,000 | $560,000 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $2,200/mo | $2,150/mo |
| Property tax rate | 2.1% | 0.5% |
| State & local income tax | 4.95% | 2.89% |
| Sales tax | 10.25% | 8.8% |
| Cost of living index | 106 | 112 |
| Groceries index | 102 | 102 |
| Utilities | $155/mo | $160/mo |
| Median household income | $71,000 | $85,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 3.8% |
| Crime index | 55/100 | 50/100 |
| School rating | 6.0/10 | 6.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 189 days | 245 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 · Denver, CO
Questions & answers
- Is Chicago cheaper than Denver?
- Chicago has the lower day-to-day cost index (106 vs 112 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Denver equals $85,000 in Chicago?
- A household earning $85,000 in Chicago needs about $79,500 in Denver to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Denver lifestyle costs about $90,500 in Chicago.