Chicago-Naperville-Elgin cost of living
Prices in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area run at 103.6 against a national average of 100, ranking it #40 of 387 metros. Rents there sit at 112.0.
What drives the number
Prices in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin run at 103.6 where the national average is 100, so about 3.6 per cent above the country as a whole. It ranks #40 of 387 metro areas. Against Illinois as a whole it is 3.6 points more expensive, which is the usual direction: cities cost more than the states around them.
The parts move together here rather than pulling against each other: goods at 107.3, rents at 112.0, other services at 83.6. Goods are close to national almost everywhere, because most are shipped and priced nationally, so it is worth noticing when rents behave the same way. Goods at 107.3 are themselves 7.3 points off national, which is a wide gap for a category that is mostly shipped in.
Comparing a job here against one elsewhere on the headline salary alone will mislead by roughly 3.6 per cent. Adjusting by the parity fixes that.
The vertical line is the national average of 100. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, SARPP, 2024.
What the biggest local jobs are really worth
The same pay buys different amounts in different places, so a salary quoted in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin is not comparable to one quoted elsewhere until it is divided by the local parity. These are the occupations that employ the most people here, with the quoted median alongside what that median is worth at national prices.
| Occupation | Employed | Median pay | Worth nationally | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 146,710 | $40,030 | $38,639 | $38,940 |
| General and Operations Managers | 121,110 | $105,310 | $101,651 | $102,950 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 104,270 | $33,020 | $31,873 | $30,480 |
| Retail Salespersons | 102,320 | $34,910 | $33,697 | $34,580 |
| Registered Nurses | 100,620 | $96,480 | $93,127 | $93,600 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 94,530 | $36,340 | $35,077 | $34,900 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 91,750 | $37,940 | $36,622 | $37,090 |
| Cashiers | 82,020 | $33,680 | $32,510 | $31,190 |
Pay from the BLS metro survey, adjusted by dividing by the metro parity of 103.6.
Nearby metro areas
| Metro area | All items | Rents | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kankakee | 96.4 | 92.9 | #140 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood | 95.7 | 88.9 | #152 |
| Cincinnati | 95.4 | 87.6 | #160 |
| Bloomington | 95.1 | 85.6 | #165 |
| St. Louis | 95.1 | 79.0 | #167 |
| Bloomington | 93.5 | 74.7 | #195 |
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin: common questions
Is Chicago-Naperville-Elgin expensive?
Prices are 3.6% above the national average, a parity of 103.6 where the country is 100. It ranks #40 of the 387 metro areas BEA measures. Against Illinois as a whole it is 3.6 points more expensive.
What salary do you need in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
The median worker there earns $51,510, which buys what $49,720 buys nationally once local prices are taken into account. Comparing a salary offer between cities without this adjustment is comparing nothing useful.
Is housing the reason?
Usually. Rents here are at 112.0 against goods at 107.3. Goods barely vary between American cities because most are shipped and priced nationally; housing varies enormously, and it dominates any cost of living comparison.