City comparison
Chicago, IL vs Harrisburg, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Chicago, IL are 5.0% higher than in Harrisburg, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Harrisburg, PA would need about $105,000 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 $1,212 in Harrisburg, PA. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Chicago, IL and 19% in Harrisburg, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,735 a year higher in Chicago, IL than in Harrisburg, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.7% moving from Chicago, IL to Harrisburg, PA ($118,984 → $108,592), while prices change by −4.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.2% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
- Harrisburg, PA: price level 98.7 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Chicago, IL | Harrisburg, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 98.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,227 in Harrisburg | $105,013 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,212/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $49,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 96.3 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 108.1 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 98.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Harrisburg, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.0%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,735/yr.
84 Strong offer
Harrisburg, PA → Chicago, IL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.8%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$1,735/yr.
53 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Harrisburg, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Harrisburg, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Harrisburg, PA | Real change, Chicago → Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $62,972 | −4.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $76,190 | −4.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $91,320 | −4.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $108,592 | −4.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $128,323 | −4.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Harrisburg, PA | Harrisburg pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $77,160 | $81,028 (+3.4%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $109,470 | $114,957 (−14.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $76,510 | $80,345 (−2.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $96,770 | $101,621 (+1.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.