Quote:
Originally Posted by Code Lyoko
Chicago probably "looks" cheap when you look at rent and housing prices and that too is skewed with the very cheap homes in the rough areas of Chicago (of which there's A LOT) but factor in sales tax (among the absolute highest in the country), gasoline, food and grocery expenses, and taxes in general and it's not "closer" to the cost of living of a Phoenix, Houston, or Miami anymore but more in line with what you'd expect out of it. Apply basic needs for how much you consume and your average housing and additional expenses and at the end of the month, you'll get the real story. It's the reason people are increasingly living in places like Walworth, Rockford, South Bend, and Benton Harbor and commuting to Chicago, cost of living being the primary driver.
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Not really following that though. From googling, Chicago's sales taxes are actually LESS than Phoenix, and only 1% higher than Houston. Houston and Phoenix both have higher property taxes than the city of Chicago, groceries cost more in Phoenix and Houston and
much more in Miami. Chicago has a higher income tax than Phoenix and Texas and Florida have no income tax. They offset the taxes with higher property taxes in many cases. Chicago has higher gas prices, but also has 2 million rides per weekday on public transit
Chicago's average houshold income is 16% higher than Houston or Phoenix and 34% higher than Miami. Chicago is expensive and has taxes, high gas prices - but for a city its size it's much cheaper than many many others.
Rockford, South Bend and Benton Harbor's metro areas are either flat or actually shrinking.
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