City comparison
Chicago, IL vs Modesto, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Chicago, IL (103.6) and Modesto, CA (104.1, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Chicago, IL goes as far as $100,500 in Modesto, CA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,581 a month in Chicago, IL versus $1,356 in Modesto, CA. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Chicago, IL and 22% in Modesto, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $265 a year higher in Modesto, CA than in Chicago, IL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.8% moving from Chicago, IL to Modesto, CA ($118,984 → $133,060), while prices change by +0.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +11.3% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
- Modesto, CA: price level 104.1 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Chicago, IL | Modesto, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 104.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,495 in Modesto | $99,507 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,356/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $50,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Modesto, CA MSA. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Modesto, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Modesto |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 108.5 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 152.3 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 104.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Modesto, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$265/yr.
67 Fair offer
Modesto, CA → Chicago, IL
Roughly even
Buying power +0.5%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$265/yr.
70 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Modesto, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Modesto, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Modesto, CA | Real change, Chicago → Modesto |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $77,161 | +11.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $93,358 | +11.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $111,896 | +11.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $133,060 | +11.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $157,236 | +11.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Modesto, CA | Modesto pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $101,640 | $101,139 (+29.0%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $119,770 | $119,180 (−11.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $83,560 | $83,148 (+1.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $132,590 | $131,937 (+31.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.