City comparison
Chicago, IL vs Salem, OR
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Chicago, IL (103.6) and Salem, OR (103.6, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Chicago, IL goes as far as $100,100 in Salem, OR.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,581 a month in Chicago, IL versus $1,201 in Salem, OR. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Chicago, IL and 20% in Salem, OR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,115 a year higher in Salem, OR than in Chicago, IL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.6% moving from Chicago, IL to Salem, OR ($118,984 → $114,684), while prices change by +0.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.7% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
- Salem, OR: 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
| Chicago, IL | Salem, OR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 103.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,052 in Salem | $99,948 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,201/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $71,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $7,920 (OR) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Salem, OR MSA. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Salem, OR.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Salem |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 110.3 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 105.3 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 104.7 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 103.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Salem, OR
Roughly even
Buying power −0.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,115/yr.
69 Fair offer
Salem, OR → Chicago, IL
Roughly even
Buying power +0.1%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$3,115/yr.
68 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Salem, OR is in Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Salem, OR at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Salem, OR | Real change, Chicago → Salem |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $66,505 | −3.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $80,465 | −3.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $96,443 | −3.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $114,684 | −3.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $135,522 | −3.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Salem, OR | Salem pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $74,810 | $74,771 (−4.6%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $131,620 | $131,551 (−2.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $87,480 | $87,434 (+6.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $131,750 | $131,681 (+31.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.