Residential comparison · 13 facts
Chicago, IL vs Oak Park, 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 Chicago needs about $76,500 in Oak Park to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Oak Park, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $93,500 in Chicago.
A few differences
- Oak Park is lower on sales tax (8.85% vs 10.25%).
- Oak Park is lower on groceries index (98 vs 102).
- Oak Park is higher on median household income ($110,820 vs $71,000).
Chicago vs Oak Park · facet by facet
| Facet | Chicago, IL | Oak Park, IL |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $360,000 | $465,500 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $2,200/mo | $1,919/mo |
| Property tax rate | 2.1% | 2.1% |
| State & local income tax | 4.95% | 4.95% |
| Sales tax | 10.25% | 8.85% |
| Cost of living index | 106 | 112 |
| Groceries index | 102 | 98 |
| Utilities | $155/mo | $165/mo |
| Median household income | $71,000 | $110,820 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 4.7% |
| Crime index | 55/100 | 50/100 |
| School rating | 6.0/10 | 6.3/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 189 days | 190 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 · Oak Park, IL
Questions & answers
- Is Chicago cheaper than Oak Park?
- 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 Oak Park equals $85,000 in Chicago?
- A household earning $85,000 in Chicago needs about $76,500 in Oak Park to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Oak Park lifestyle costs about $93,500 in Chicago.