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Chicago blows Atlanta out of the water in my opinion. And there is no need to move to NW Indiana. Plenty of studio apartments in $1k range within 30 minutes of downtown area. Pilsen, Rogers Park, Uptown, etc.
I've never heard of anyone that has been unemployed for 1+ years turning down a job opportunity in a world class city.
OP. The longer you are unemployed the harder it will be to explain the gap in your resume. Make the move. You will be glad you did. Chicago is one helluva city.
I agree with this. Its low cost for a world class city with midwestern friendliness. Chicago is my number one choice to move to!
Quote:
Originally Posted by CGab
Illinois IS NOTcheap! As a matter of fact they have the highest taxes IN THE COUNTRY and the state of Illinois is in a fiscal mess!
Illinois is defintitely a fiscal mess but the top state income tax rate is only 4.95%. That seems quite low compared to the 13.6% top state income tax rate in California or the 9.85% rate in Minnesota. Unfortunately the property tax rate is much higher in Illinois but its not as bad places like New Jersey.
Also housing is much cheaper in Chicago than in SF,LA and New York.
I would definitely take the job. Chicago is a fine city (not for me, as I'm done with cold weather states at this point) and it's not as expensive as other large cities. It seems other posters have given advice on what areas to look in based on your job location. Go into this as an adventure and you might just end up liking it!
I personally can't imagine rejecting the offer after being unemployed for such a long time. I don't understand that mindset. Maybe if it was San Francisco, which is extremely expensive.
I agree with this. Its low cost for a world class city with midwestern friendliness. Chicago is my number one choice to move to!
Illinois is defintitely a fiscal mess but the top state income tax rate is only 4.95%. That seems quite low compared to the 13.6% top state income tax rate in California or the 9.85% rate in Minnesota. Unfortunately the property tax rate is much higher in Illinois but its not as bad places like New Jersey.
Also housing is much cheaper in Chicago than in SF,LA and New York.
Illinois income taxes might not seem as high as others, but many have less or zero income tax. They also have very high sales tax (which varies by county) but most are between 7-11%). Second highest in the nation for property taxes and taxes on food. Of course there are other higher COL states, but Illinois will only continue to get taxed worse as it has no other options to get out from the fiscal mess it's in.
**** In 2017 Illinois lost about 33,700 residents, dropping the total population to 12,802,023, the greatest numeric population loss of any state.
At any rate, the OP will be renting and only plans to live there a few years.
I agree with this. Its low cost for a world class city with midwestern friendliness. Chicago is my number one choice to move to!
Illinois is defintitely a fiscal mess but the top state income tax rate is only 4.95%. That seems quite low compared to the 13.6% top state income tax rate in California or the 9.85% rate in Minnesota. Unfortunately the property tax rate is much higher in Illinois but its not as bad places like New Jersey.
Also housing is much cheaper in Chicago than in SF,LA and New York.
The income tax is lower than Georgia. DuPage has lower taxes overall than Cook County, so the OP might not notice as much of a difference. The sales tax is lower and I think everywhere that has been recommended is in DuPage. I don’t disagree that Illinois has issues, but a lot of the really stupid stuff happens in Chicago proper or Cook count, so being out of both is helpful to save money.
Of course we don't know what factors are preventing you from getting a job in Atlanta, but barring some really huge considerations, like your spouse has a much better job where you are or it would be an unimaginable hardship for your kids, moving to a great city like Chicago seems like a no-brainer.
The income tax is lower than Georgia. DuPage has lower taxes overall than Cook County, so the OP might not notice as much of a difference. The sales tax is lower and I think everywhere that has been recommended is in DuPage. I don’t disagree that Illinois has issues, but a lot of the really stupid stuff happens in Chicago proper or Cook count, so being out of both is helpful to save money.
OP go for it. I faced a similar fork a few years ago. My employer offered me a promotion to move to Pittsburgh then N NJ. I was living and working in Houston when this occurred. I didnt want to live in those areas but took the opportunity. I benefited in ways I could not even imagine from these moves from where I grew up and had family for a promotion. I had no desire to live even temporarily in the NE.
I met some of the greatest people ever, several who are still good friends decades later. I travelled up and down the East Coast seeing things I might not have seen otherwise. I made great friends who are still good friends decades later. Living in a dense area where you had noise around you and never could find a place where no house light was visible at night helped me see more government in regulation is not all bad in that environment. I got an MBA from Rutgers night school and met students who worked in some many different industries. I learned what a great company I worked for as my last job in NJ was the type of job most of my fellow MBA students saw as their long term job goal and I had it already before the degree at age 35.
Maybe you have experienced more than I had but my life is richer and wiser for taking this risk and leaving where I wanted to be. I learned where I live is best for me but know it now from experiencing a world so different.
I wish you good luck. Go and be safe and hope you enjoy it half as much as I did my "foreign" assignment lol. If you do you will be richer for it in ways you may not see now
Chicago isn't that windy. The average wind speed is only 10 mph. There are 78 cities that are windier. The windiest city is Boston (19 mph, i.e. almost twice as windy as Chicago). All the major cities on the east coast are windier. But it is wicked cold!
Windy city alludes to political corruption. Politicians blowing hot air.
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