City comparison
Chicago, IL vs Youngstown, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Chicago, IL are 18.5% higher than in Youngstown, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Youngstown, OH would need about $118,500 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 $771 in Youngstown, OH. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Chicago, IL and 12% in Youngstown, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,838 a year higher in Chicago, IL than in Youngstown, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −6.6% moving from Chicago, IL to Youngstown, OH ($118,984 → $111,138), while prices change by −15.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.7% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
- Youngstown, OH: price level 87.4 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Chicago, IL | Youngstown, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 87.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $84,361 in Youngstown | $118,538 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $771/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 12% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $43,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Youngstown-Warren, OH MSA. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Youngstown-Warren, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Youngstown |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 53.4 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 96.3 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 87.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Youngstown, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.5%; rent takes 12% of take-home; state tax −$2,838/yr.
100 Strong offer
Youngstown, OH → Chicago, IL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.6%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$2,838/yr.
37 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Youngstown, OH is in Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Youngstown, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Youngstown, OH | Real change, Chicago → Youngstown |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $64,448 | +10.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $77,977 | +10.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $93,461 | +10.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $111,138 | +10.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $131,331 | +10.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Youngstown, OH | Youngstown pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $72,560 | $86,011 (+9.7%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $107,990 | $128,009 (−4.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $73,080 | $86,627 (+5.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $78,680 | $93,266 (−7.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.