Housing and tax tradeoff: Chicago, Illinois
Chicago, Illinois comes out ahead here on rent burden and rent. This only compares rent burden, rent, home price, and estimated state tax burden; it is not a total cost-of-living ranking.
Demand-Backed Comparison
Compare Boston vs Chicago on cost, climate, safety, and daily life
People have logged this comparison 238 times on WhyThere. The cards open full city pages. The charts and matrix below are the fast side-by-side read on housing, climate, walkability, safety, schools, parks, and day-to-day tradeoffs.
BostonChicago
What Stands Out
A quick read on this comparison
Deterministic summaries based on the data in view.
Biggest tradeoff: Chicago, Illinois
Chicago, Illinois is the sharpest split in this comparison: strong on affordability, weaker on safety.
Potential dealbreaker: Boston, Massachusetts
Boston, Massachusetts needs a closer look before you get too attached, especially on rent burden.
Comparison Matrix
| City | ||
|---|---|---|
| Route | ||
| General Info | ||
| Population | 653,833 | 2,664,452 |
| Population Density | 13.8k /sq mi | 12.0k /sq mi |
| Elevation | 46 ft(14 m) | 587 ft(179 m) |
| Housing & Wealth | ||
| Median Home | $760,717 | $304,487 |
| Median Rent | $3,589 | $2,191 |
| Median Income | $89,212 | $71,673 |
| Rent Burden | 48% | 37% |
| Climate & Risks | ||
| Sunny Days | 285 days/yr | 280 days/yr |
| Avg. High | 61°F | 59°F |
| Comfort Score | 51/100Mixed | 47/100Mixed |
| Temp Swing | 46°F | 48°F |
| Annual Rainfall | 48"(122 cm) | 44"(112 cm) |
| Annual Snowfall | 11"(28 cm) | 11"(28 cm) |
| Air Quality | AQI 43 (Avg)18 days > 100 | AQI 44 (Avg)19 days > 100 |
| Infrastructure & Lifestyle | ||
| Central walkability | 99 | 98 |
| Transit Score | 100 | 100 |
| Safety Score | 60 / 100 | 30 / 100 |
| School Rating | 5.3/10 | 7.3/10 |
| Flood Risk (FEMA) | N/A | minimalMinimal Risk |
| Fire Risk (FEMA) | minimalMinimal | minimalMinimal |
| Internet Access | Fiber: 57%Cable: 99% | Fiber: 33%Cable: 99% |
| Demographics | ||
| Median Age | 32.9 years | 35.3 years |
| College Educated | 53% | 42% |
| Remote Workers | 16% | 16% |
| Nature Access | ||
| Local Nature & Reserves | Finding... | Finding... |
| Scouting & Local Help | ||
Plan a first lookWays to plan a first visit or connect with a relevant local partner. | Featured Local Partner ADYour logo Partner spot available For organizations that can help someone land in Boston | Featured Local Partner ADYour logo Partner spot available For organizations that can help someone land in Chicago |
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