City comparison
Chicago, IL vs Vallejo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Vallejo, CA are 4.7% higher than in Chicago, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Chicago, IL would need about $104,700 in Vallejo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,705 a month in Vallejo, CA versus $1,581 in Chicago, IL. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Vallejo, CA and 26% in Chicago, IL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $265 a year higher in Vallejo, 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 Vallejo, CA ($118,984 → $133,060), while prices change by +4.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.8% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
- Vallejo, CA: price level 108.5 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Chicago, IL | Vallejo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 108.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,715 in Vallejo | $95,498 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,705/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% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $58,620 |
| 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 Vallejo, CA MSA. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Vallejo, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Vallejo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 142.0 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 108.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Vallejo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.5%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$265/yr.
51 Fair offer
Vallejo, CA → Chicago, IL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.7%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$265/yr.
83 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Vallejo, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Vallejo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Vallejo, CA | Real change, Chicago → Vallejo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $77,161 | +6.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $93,358 | +6.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $111,896 | +6.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $133,060 | +6.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $157,236 | +6.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Vallejo, CA | Vallejo pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $100,790 | $96,252 (+22.8%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $136,930 | $130,765 (−2.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $95,800 | $91,487 (+11.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $203,290 | $194,137 (+93.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.