City comparison
Chicago, IL vs Hagerstown, MD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Chicago, IL are 10.0% higher than in Hagerstown, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Hagerstown, MD would need about $110,000 in Chicago, IL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,581 a month in Chicago, IL versus $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Chicago, IL and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $419 a year higher in Chicago, IL than in Hagerstown, MD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.4% moving from Chicago, IL to Hagerstown, MD ($118,984 → $121,785), while prices change by −9.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +12.6% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Chicago, IL | Hagerstown, MD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 94.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,903 in Hagerstown | $110,007 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $961/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $74,794 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $4,386 (MD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $47,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Hagerstown |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 75.7 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 95.7 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 94.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Hagerstown, MD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$419/yr.
100 Strong offer
Hagerstown, MD → Chicago, IL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.1%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$419/yr.
40 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Hagerstown, MD is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Hagerstown, MD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Hagerstown, MD | Real change, Chicago → Hagerstown |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $70,623 | +12.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $85,447 | +12.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $102,415 | +12.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $121,785 | +12.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $143,913 | +12.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Hagerstown, MD | Hagerstown pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $63,190 | $69,514 (−11.3%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $122,830 | $135,122 (+0.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $75,250 | $82,781 (+0.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $92,770 | $102,054 (+1.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.