City comparison
Chattanooga, TN 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 13.3% higher than in Chattanooga, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Chattanooga, TN would need about $113,300 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 $1,263 in Chattanooga, TN. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Chicago, IL and 19% in Chattanooga, TN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,805 a year higher in Chicago, IL than in Chattanooga, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.8% moving from Chattanooga, TN to Chicago, IL ($106,437 → $118,984), while prices change by +13.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.3% in real buying power.
- Chattanooga, TN: price level 91.5 (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
| Chattanooga, TN | Chicago, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.5 | 103.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,263 in Chicago | $88,290 in Chattanooga |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,263/mo | $1,581/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,375 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $4,805 (IL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,700 | $54,720 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI |
Rent areas: Chattanooga, TN-GA MSA and Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Chattanooga, TN-GA and Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chattanooga | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.5 | 112.0 |
| Goods | 96.0 | 107.3 |
| Utilities | 74.2 | 83.6 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 100.5 |
| Overall | 91.5 | 103.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chattanooga, TN → Chicago, IL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.7%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$4,805/yr.
37 Weak offer
Chicago, IL → Chattanooga, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.3%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$4,805/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Chattanooga, TN 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 Chattanooga, TN to Chicago, IL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chattanooga, TN | Chicago, IL | Real change, Chattanooga → Chicago |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,999 | −1.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $83,482 | −1.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,059 | −1.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $118,984 | −1.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $140,604 | −1.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chattanooga, TN | Chicago, IL | Chicago pay in Chattanooga dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $115,160 | $125,310 | $110,636 (−3.9%) |
| Software Developers | $106,750 | $134,380 | $118,644 (+11.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,680 | $82,360 | $72,716 (−5.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,770 | $100,490 | $88,723 (+11.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.