At a glance
For the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (CBSA 16980), BEA 2024 all-items regional price parity is 103.6 (U.S. = 100). Census ACS 2020–2024 estimates median gross rent at $1,430 per month and a 45+ minute commute share of 23.5% among workers who commute. These are metro estimates, not current asking rents, neighborhood figures or an individual commute forecast.
Sources: BLS wages (May 2025) · BEA price parity (2024) · Census ACS (2020–2024) · metro areas, not city limits · How we calculate
How Chicago compares with the other 74 metros
Each measure below is ranked across the 75 curated metros, where 1st means the highest value. A high or low rank describes the number, not whether the metro is a better or worse place to live.
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| Measure | Chicago | Middle value of 75 metros | Rank (1st = highest) |
|---|---|---|---|
| BEA 2024 all-items price parity (U.S. = 100) | 103.6 | 98.4 | 18th of 75 |
| ACS median gross rent per month | $1,430 | $1,430 | 37th of 75 |
| ACS median household income | $90,887 | $83,460 | 22nd of 75 |
| ACS share of commuters with 45+ minute trips | 23.5% | 13.2% | 7th of 75 |
The metros with the closest BEA price parity are Phoenix (103.3), Dallas (103.1), Hartford (102.7). Similar price levels do not imply similar wages, rents or job markets; compare them with the city comparison pages or the interactive tool.
Where pay ranks highest and lowest in Chicago
For each occupation reported in at least 50 metros, we ranked Chicago’s price-adjusted median against the other metros reporting the same occupation. These ranks compare published medians for one occupation at a time; they are not measures of openings or of how an employer will pay.
Highest relative to other metros
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| Occupation | Adjusted median | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | $99,792 | 1st of 75 |
| Carpenters | $77,649 | 2nd of 75 |
| Electricians | $98,798 | 2nd of 75 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $107,399 | 3rd of 75 |
| Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators | $99,522 | 4th of 75 |
Lowest relative to other metros
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| Occupation | Adjusted median | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Architects, Except Landscape and Naval | $78,952 | 75th of 75 |
| Architectural and Civil Drafters | $56,759 | 72nd of 74 |
| Physician Assistants | $123,500 | 70th of 75 |
| Industrial Engineers | $98,229 | 69th of 75 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | $47,203 | 68th of 75 |
Occupation wages in the Chicago metro area
Major Midwest labor center with a wide mix of professional and service occupations. The BLS geographic unit is Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (CBSA 16980), rather than the limits of Chicago city. Salary medians cannot be directly compared to a specific employer or neighborhood.
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| Occupation | Annual median wage | Adjusted median* | Employment estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $40,550 | $39,143 | 157,920 |
| General and Operations Managers | $109,390 | $105,594 | 122,930 |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $97,003 | 100,240 |
| Retail Salespersons | $35,820 | $34,577 | 96,950 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $47,100 | $45,466 | 75,240 |
| Office Clerks, General | $46,330 | $44,722 | 66,840 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $62,300 | $60,138 | 62,210 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | $50,440 | $48,690 | 50,190 |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $75,670 | 45,840 |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | $58,020 | $56,007 | 45,710 |
| Financial Managers | $168,810 | $162,952 | 41,590 |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $79,502 | 41,360 |
Show all 80 occupations, alphabetically
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The table lists the 12 occupations with the highest BLS estimated employment in this metro, not an attractiveness ranking; the full list is expandable and its columns can be sorted. The price-adjusted wage equals the BLS May 2025 annual occupational median × 100 ÷ the BEA 2024 all-items regional price parity. Census rent, household income and commuting figures are ACS 2020–2024 five-year estimates. They describe different populations and do not determine take-home pay, employment prospects or individual rent. ACS gross rent includes contract rent plus estimated utility and fuel costs.
Occupational wage distribution examples
These occupations are selected by the highest BLS estimated employment within our curated career set for this metro—not by pay or predicted demand. Annual wage percentiles are descriptive estimates and can be suppressed independently.
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| Occupation | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $31,860 | $35,920 | $40,550 | $47,640 | $56,440 |
| General and Operations Managers | $58,000 | $76,900 | $109,390 | $175,170 | $298,090 |
| Registered Nurses | $77,410 | $82,640 | $100,490 | $108,430 | $119,260 |
| Retail Salespersons | $31,200 | $33,800 | $35,820 | $38,380 | $48,580 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $34,480 | $38,260 | $47,100 | $58,950 | $71,530 |
| Office Clerks, General | $32,580 | $37,710 | $46,330 | $57,790 | $72,910 |
The employment estimate indicates modeled occupational employment, not current job openings. Missing percentiles remain Unavailable. Each job classification has a different population and wage distribution.
Understanding the local context
BEA reports a 2024 all-items regional price parity of 103.595. It reflects the general price level of goods and services in this metro compared with 100 nationwide. The Census ACS reports median gross rent of $1,430 (MOE ±$6) and median household income of $90,887 (MOE ±$454) over 2020–2024.
ACS gross rent includes estimated utilities and is not an asking-rent median. Household income covers all household earnings, so it is not comparable to one worker’s wage. The 45+ minute commute share is 23.5% of workers who travel to work, excluding people who work from home.
Neither the rent nor household-income median exceeds our 30% relative-MOE quality-warning threshold; estimates still have uncertainty.
From the Chicago metro average to a neighborhood choice
This profile covers the full Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN region. Its wage, rent and commute measures cannot show how a specific neighborhood or route compares with another.
- Compare current listings for similar unit sizes and move-in dates in the areas you are considering.
- Check a likely home-to-work route at the hours and by the travel mode you expect to use.
- Enter your own housing quote and offer in the private relocation worksheet; keep it separate from the public metro benchmarks.
This dataset has no neighborhood-level rent or commute estimates.
Using Chicago figures in a real moving budget
The BEA index places the broad metropolitan price level approximately 3.6% above the U.S. reference. At the published ACS median gross rent of $1,430 per month, twelve months of that survey benchmark would total $17,160. This is simple annualization of a survey median, not a current listing price or a budget recommendation.
The 23.5% long-commute share does not tell you how long a trip from a specific neighborhood to a specific employer will take. Gather a real offer and recent rental quotes first, then enter the unadjusted gross offer in the worksheet.
Compare with another metro
Explore two-area price, housing and wage comparisons. These source-backed pages are not rankings of which city is best for you.