Residential comparison · 13 facts
Chicago, IL vs Houston, TX
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 $69,500 in Houston to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Houston, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $101,500 in Chicago.
A few differences
- Houston is lower on property tax rate (2% vs 2.1%).
- Houston is lower on sales tax (8.25% vs 10.25%).
- Houston is lower on groceries index (96 vs 102).
Chicago vs Houston · facet by facet
| Facet | Chicago, IL | Houston, TX |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $360,000 | $340,000 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $2,200/mo | $1,650/mo |
| Property tax rate | 2.1% | 2% |
| State & local income tax | 4.95% | 0% |
| Sales tax | 10.25% | 8.25% |
| Cost of living index | 106 | 94 |
| Groceries index | 102 | 96 |
| Utilities | $155/mo | $190/mo |
| Median household income | $71,000 | $62,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 4.6% |
| Crime index | 55/100 | 58/100 |
| School rating | 6.0/10 | 6.0/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 189 days | 204 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 · Houston, TX
Questions & answers
- Is Chicago cheaper than Houston?
- Houston 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 Houston equals $85,000 in Chicago?
- A household earning $85,000 in Chicago needs about $69,500 in Houston to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Houston lifestyle costs about $101,500 in Chicago.