City comparison
Beaumont, TX vs Chicago, IL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Chicago, IL are 15.0% higher than in Beaumont, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Beaumont, TX would need about $115,000 in Chicago, IL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,581 a month in Chicago, IL versus $898 in Beaumont, TX. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Chicago, IL and 14% in Beaumont, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,805 a year higher in Chicago, IL than in Beaumont, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.8% moving from Beaumont, TX to Chicago, IL ($106,437 → $118,984), while prices change by +15.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.8% in real buying power.
- Beaumont, TX: price level 90.0 (much cheaper)
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Beaumont, TX | Chicago, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.0 | 103.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $115,047 in Chicago | $86,921 in Beaumont |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/mo | $1,581/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,375 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,805 (IL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,630 | $54,720 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI |
Rent areas: Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX MSA and Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX and Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Beaumont | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.9 | 112.0 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 107.3 |
| Utilities | 83.1 | 83.6 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 100.5 |
| Overall | 90.0 | 103.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Beaumont, TX → Chicago, IL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.1%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$4,805/yr.
37 Weak offer
Chicago, IL → Beaumont, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.0%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$4,805/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Beaumont, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Chicago, IL is in Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Beaumont, TX to Chicago, IL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Beaumont, TX | Chicago, IL | Real change, Beaumont → Chicago |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,999 | −2.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $83,482 | −2.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,059 | −2.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $118,984 | −2.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $140,604 | −2.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Beaumont, TX | Chicago, IL | Chicago pay in Beaumont dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $105,140 | $125,310 | $108,921 (+3.6%) |
| Software Developers | $124,470 | $134,380 | $116,805 (−6.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,680 | $82,360 | $71,588 (−6.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,180 | $100,490 | $87,347 (+7.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.