Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Why is Boston significantly more expensive than Chicago when both are major cities on a large body of water with similar climates (cold and snowy winters and fairly hot and humid summers) was well as similar career opportunities?
Doesn’t make much sense. If anything it seems Chicago should be more expensive since its 4 times larger
Why is Boston significantly more expensive than Chicago when both are major cities on a large body of water with similar climates (cold and snowy winters and fairly hot and humid summers) was well as similar career opportunities?
Doesn’t make much sense. If anything it seems Chicago should be more expensive since its 4 times larger
What gives?
You might’ve just answered your own question. If Boston had 4 times as many houses, it probably wouldn’t be as pricy as it is now.
Why is Boston significantly more expensive than Chicago when both are major cities on a large body of water with similar climates (cold and snowy winters and fairly hot and humid summers) was well as similar career opportunities?
Doesn’t make much sense. If anything it seems Chicago should be more expensive since its 4 times larger
What gives?
Chicago's larger, more housing units.
Chicago is surrounded by flat suburbs with room to build and then cornfield with rooms to build. Alleviates the pressure on the housing market. The suburbs have amenities and are gridded to better allow access to the city itself, with township governments that allow development to move forward quicker.
Chicago is less safe.
Chicago has worse schools.
Chicago has fewer college students relative to its total population.
Chicago has a more poorly run government than Boston. Illinois has a more poorly run government than Massachusetts.
Wages are higher in Boston than in Chicago
Taxes are much higher in Chicago.
Chicago isnt as in demand as Boston has been for the past 20 years. Thus its rents are naturally lower AND it has more abandoned land and more abandoned/vacant homes.
Chicago is surrounded by flat suburbs with room to build and then cornfield with rooms to build. Alleviates the pressure on the housing market. The suburbs have amenities and are gridded, with township governments that allow development to move forward quicker.
Chicago is less safe.
Chicago has worse schools.
Chicago has fewer college students relative to its total population.
Chicago has a more poorly run government than Boston. Illinois has a more poorly run government than Massachusetts.
Wages are higher in Boston than in Chicago
Taxes are much higher in Chicago.
Chicago isnt as in demand as Boston has been for the past 20 years. Thus its rents are naturally lower AND it has more abandoned land and more abandoned/vacant homes.
They is demand in Downtown Chicago area and north side neighborhoods like Lincoln Park, Wicker Park
Chicago is surrounded by flat suburbs with room to build and then cornfield with rooms to build. Alleviates the pressure on the housing market. The suburbs have amenities and are gridded to better allow access to the city itself, with township governments that allow development to move forward quicker.
Chicago is less safe.
Chicago has worse schools.
Chicago has fewer college students relative to its total population.
Chicago has a more poorly run government than Boston. Illinois has a more poorly run government than Massachusetts.
Wages are higher in Boston than in Chicago
Taxes are much higher in Chicago.
Chicago isnt as in demand as Boston has been for the past 20 years. Thus its rents are naturally lower AND it has more abandoned land and more abandoned/vacant homes.
Are Taxes much higher in Illinois?
Looks like both states have 5% income tax, 6.25% sales tax and Illinois has lower property taxes taking into account property values.
IL has local sales tax and a 1% tax on grocery and clothing but it seems like Illinois really high tax burden is actually sort of a myth
Boston’s wealth of universities and colleges has allowed it to weather a lot of economic and social changes. Chicago was still being hit bad by industrialization in the 1980s while Boston’s industrial economy had collapsed earlier than most of the Rustbelts. The overall metro area didn’t receive as much of the great migration compared to a lot of other major Midwestern and northeastern cities, so there was less white flight.
Boston, along with Pittsburgh and St. Louis actually began its period of population loss a bit earlier compared to most legacy cities. But unlike those places Boston has had better luck with gaining a educated population and attracting immigrants.
Also while Chicago is overall a lot cheaper than Boston, it’s most expensive real estate listings are in a similar, if slightly lower number than Boston’s. Chicago’s Northside neighborhoods are probably the largest concentration of continuation urban wealth in the country outside of San Francisco and New York City.
Boston’s wealth of universities and colleges has allowed it to weather a lot of economic and social changes. Chicago was still being hit bad by industrialization in the 1980s while Boston’s industrial economy had collapsed earlier than most of the Rustbelts. The overall metro area didn’t receive as much of the great migration compared to a lot of other major Midwestern and northeastern cities, so there was less white flight.
Boston, along with Pittsburgh and St. Louis actually began its period of population loss a bit earlier compared to most legacy cities. But unlike those places Boston has had better luck with gaining a educated population and attracting immigrants.
Also while Chicago is overall a lot cheaper than Boston, it’s most expensive real estate listings are in a similar, if slightly lower number than Boston’s. Chicago’s Northside neighborhoods are probably the largest concentration of continuation urban wealth in the country outside of San Francisco and New York City.
Boston had pretty heavy white flight. From 1950-1980 Boston lost fully half its white population, by 2000 it had lost 62% of its 1950 white population. It lost 30% of its total population in those first 30 years. Which really underscores how remarkable the turn around has been. It has a higher share of immigrants and well educated people. The immigrants revived or kept neighborhoods from total despair. Chicago really didn’t have that to the same extent or as early. The well educated moved into the already decent areas early on and they’ve never stopped booming,
Boston is in New England, east coast situated alongside an ocean. Chicago is Midwest, inland but situated on a Great lake. Real Estate is typically more expensive when the body of water is an ocean rather than a lake.
Chicago is laid out in a more efficient way overall the the location is less desirable
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
