Moving to Chicago from outside America (Bridgeport: safe neighborhood, school, calculation)

[IrishIllini]

Originally Posted by compactspace

I'm from Australia -- don't live in Chi but I have very close ties to the place.

50K will mean a small, old apartment in a decent neighborhood. Something like South Loop, Uptown, Edgewater or Rogers Park. It's a low-end white collar salary.

70K will mean a small, old apartment in a higher-end neighborhood, or nice-ish living in one of the above. It's a lower-middle white collar salary.

By the sounds of it, if your job is '2.5 miles south of Lincoln Park', then it's in South Loop. So that seems like a good choice for you. Alternatively, Pilsen is more lively, artsy and low-rise and is an easy commute.



If outdoor adventures are an essential condition for you then give Chicago a big miss. It's an urbanist's city. The land is flat as a pancake for dozens of miles around and while there are some very nice places to walk and camp, it's not a patch on the dramatic geography of the Rocky Mountains or the coasts. There's freshwater diving in the lake in warm months and even a few shipwrecks to explore, if I recall. But again, this ain't an oceanside town. You'll need to get on a plane to smell sea salt.

If it's any help: I've walked through most of Chicago's 'nice' neighborhoods very late at night (past 1 AM) and have never felt unsafe. Statistically, most of the city is fairly low on violent crime.

As Chet pointed out, be wary of H1B jobs. Those employers can get their hooks in you and underpay, then prevent you from leaving on threat of deportation. I'd seriously be negotiating for them to sponsor you for a greencard if you decide to move forward.

While this is true, the chances of OP getting a green card for this type of work are unfortunately slim to none. It's VERY difficult to be approved for a GC even with a company willing to sponsor you. I've had a few coworkers from abroad who have all had to leave because the Feds would not approve the GC. Unless OP finds a spouse during their stay they'll likely be given the boot once the visa expires.

[tuanphanlv11]

Originally Posted by IrishIllini

While this is true, the chances of OP getting a green card for this type of work are unfortunately slim to none. It's VERY difficult to be approved for a GC even with a company willing to sponsor you. I've had a few coworkers from abroad who have all had to leave because the Feds would not approve the GC. Unless OP finds a spouse during their stay they'll likely be given the boot once the visa expires.

I came here under H1B visa and received my Green Card a few months ago!
It's not that difficult. I have a few other colleagues who came from my country too and they will receive their Green Card soon.

[IrishIllini]

Originally Posted by tuanphanlv11

I came here under H1B visa and received my Green Card a few months ago!
It's not that difficult. I have a few other colleagues who came from my country too and they will receive their Green Card soon.

Congrats! Hope things work out for OP.

[compactspace]

Originally Posted by tuanphanlv11

I came here under H1B visa and received my Green Card a few months ago!
It's not that difficult. I have a few other colleagues who came from my country too and they will receive their Green Card soon.

That's very good to hear. Immigration to the US is a giant mess. I had a relatively easy time of it, but I know of far too many people who are perpetually living two weeks away from deportation, and have been for years. The USCIS and the Dept of State are the modern definition of byzantine.

[Careless]

Originally Posted by compactspace

That's very good to hear. Immigration to the US is a giant mess. I had a relatively easy time of it, but I know of far too many people who are perpetually living two weeks away from deportation, and have been for years. The USCIS and the Dept of State are the modern definition of byzantine.

"Byzantine" suggests there is a complex solution. They're not Byzantine. They're basically random.

[OyCrumbler]

Eh, maybe it makes sense for the girlfriend to work remotely or under the table? 70K seems like it can work alright, 50K means you guys will have to be really good with your money and cooking at home. Will you guys have some money saved up?

Chicago's crime is concentrated in places that you can avoid so that shouldn't be the big concern here.

In regards to the outdoors, well, that's not really Chicago's strong suit. The most notable outdoor places nearby are the large sand dunes along the lake in Indiana and Michigan which can really be spectacular. There are forests nearby, and they'd be different forest from what you're used to so they might be of interest in terms of hiking. That and maybe the winter with its snow might be interesting if you guys take a strong liking to ice skating, ice fishing or cross-country skiing then this could be an interesting new outdoor offering that Costa Rica doesn't quite offer.

[emathias]

Income of $50-$70,000 is average for Chicago. The average household in Chicago earns about $60,000 - that number is pre-tax. So basically your salary would make you average. Obviously if you're average, plenty of people manage to live in Chicago on that income.

Tax wise:

Your taxes will vary somewhat depending on whether your single or married and/or have children. But assuming you are unmarried and have no children, here are few things to help your calculations. If you have a mortgage on your primary home it may also impact your effective taxes.

First, you will have three main taxes to consider:

a) Federal income tax. This is a progressive tax (starting at 10% and going up to about 39% for the highest earners), meaning you pay a high rate on income as it get above certain points. It also has a "personal exemption" that isn't taxed ($4,050) and a "standard deduction" ($6,300) that isn't taxed, which may vary depending on whether you have "dependents" which are usually a spouse and children and, in rare cases, other family members. An estimate of this is automatically deducted from your paycheck and then at the end of the year you calculate whether the deduction was too high or too low and either send the government more or they send you a refund. If you have a mortgage on your primary home, you can deduct the *interest* you paid on the mortgage that year from your income when calculating how much taxes you owe, and you can deduct any property tax you paid on the home from your income when calculating the taxes you owe. This is a big benefit for homeowners so eventually most people decide to buy a home in order to benefit from that.

b) State (Illinois) income tax. This is a flat tax (3.75%) - you pay the same percentage no mater what the income. There is a "personal exemption" ($2,125 for single people) you don't pay tax on and then anything above that is paid on any salary income and automatically deducted from your paycheck. An estimate of this is automatically deducted from your paycheck and then at the end of the year you calculate whether the deduction was too high or too low and either send the government more or they send you a refund. Illinois taxable income is based on your Federal taxable income, so it also is taxed lower if you have a mortgage on your primary home.

c) FICA taxes, which are Federal and support social security and other social net kind of programs. This is a flat tax (7.65%) with a maximum amount of income it applies to. The maximum increases slightly every year for inflation but last year the maximum income it will apply to was about $118,500. Only in rare circumstances would you get refund - for example if you worked for two different companies and each paid you less than the maximum but together they exceeded the maximum. This is fairly rare.


Now, I'm going to guess you will not be buying a home with a mortgage when you first move here, and you only mention a girlfriend so I assume you're not married and have no children.

For both of those, here is an estimate of what the taxes will be on your income.

At $50,000:
Federal Tax: $5,684
Illinois Tax: $1,487
FICA Tax: $3,825
Total after-tax income: $39,004 ($3,250 per month)

At $70,000:
Federal Tax: $10,684
Illinois Tax: $2,237
FICA Tax: $5,355
Total after-tax income: $51,724 ($4,310 per month)

These are *estimates* and you could pay slightly more or less depending on your exact circumstances, but this at least gives you an idea of what you'd end up paying in taxes and what your net take-home pay is.

There are also other things that may be deducted from you paycheck. Most American companies paying salaries in your range offer medical insurance. Some companies pay that for you, most companies pay a portion of it and then automatically deduct your cost from you paycheck. How much you have to pay for medical insurance will vary widely depending on your employer, but a reasonable estimate is that your share will be about $300 per month. Your employer, though, can tell you exactly how much you'll need to pay. Some companies allow you to also get medical insurance for your girlfriend even if you're not married, but you'll have to talk to your company about what their policies are.

So, basically, you can expect your actual "take-home pay" to be $3,000-$4,000 per month.

You can probably find a place to stay with a rent between $1,000 and $1,500 per month. Less if you try to live in a roommate situation. $1,000-$1,500 per month will give you a decent selection of 1-bedroom places in neighborhoods with an easy commute to your office, or a 2-bedroom in somewhat less-desirable places, or a studio apartment close to your office.

[pete6032]

Just to chime in, everything that emathis wrote is right. The biggest shock you may get is health insurance. It is not free. You will have to pay a monthly fee plus additional money for doctors visits and special medical services like surgery even if you have insurance. Also you have to pay separately for dental insurance and eye/vision insurance. Those three plans are generally provided by your employer. If your girlfriend is not covered the plan she will have to buy her own plan, which can cost anywhere from $150-$500 per month with $150 providing the most minimal of health insurance coverage.

[GoCUBS1]

There are some relatively shallow, extremely interesting shipwreck cold-water dives in Lake Michigan, with good visibility due to, unfortunately, zebra mussels. You can travel up the Lake Michigan shores into WI for more wreck diving, as well as some wrecks in Lake Superior - dry suit needed.

There is also some quarry diving in IL where there are sunken cars, etc. There are plenty of dive operators in Chicago area. I believe there are even some plans in the works to create more of these quarry/pond dive sites in IL.

[Chicago South Sider]

The median household income for the Chicago MSA is around $63k. I would assume you could find somewhere decent to live making $50-$70k.