City comparison
Chicago, IL vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 7.3% higher than in Chicago, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Chicago, IL would need about $107,300 in Seattle, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,146 a month in Seattle, WA versus $1,581 in Chicago, IL. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 26% in Chicago, IL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,805 a year higher in Chicago, IL than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Chicago, IL to Seattle, WA ($118,984 → $119,630), while prices change by +7.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.3% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Chicago, IL | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,276 in Seattle | $93,217 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.8%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$4,805/yr.
36 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Chicago, IL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.3%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$4,805/yr.
91 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Seattle, WA | Real change, Chicago → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $69,373 | −6.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $83,935 | −6.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $100,602 | −6.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $119,630 | −6.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $141,367 | −6.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $102,920 | $95,939 (+22.4%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $167,280 | $155,934 (+16.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $99,370 | $92,630 (+12.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $128,260 | $119,560 (+19.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.