Memphis, TN vs Chicago, IL
Moving from Memphis to Chicago? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($247,229 → $353,998 median home) and taxes.
Memphis vs Chicago at a glance
Bars scaled to the range across all 200 metros; labels show actual values.
To keep the same standard of living as $100,000 in Memphis, TN, you'd need about $116,927 in Chicago, IL (+$16,927).
Livability — Memphis, TN: 70 · Chicago, IL: 63 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 4,045 sqft in Memphis vs 2,402 sqft in Chicago ($124 vs $208 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Memphis, TN | Chicago, IL | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $17,292 | $27,192 | +$9,900 |
| Groceries | $4,715 | $5,215 | +$500 |
| Transportation | $3,130 | $3,550 | +$420 |
| Utilities | $4,764 | $4,800 | +$36 |
| Insurance | $180 | $180 | +$0 |
| Taxes | $3,343 | $8,051 | +$4,709 |
| Total | $33,424 | $48,988 | +$15,565 |
Effective state & local tax rate on $100,000 — Memphis, TN: 3.3% · Chicago, IL: 8.1% (income + local + sales + property tax where applicable ÷ income)
Assumptions: 500 gal gasoline/yr · $5000 base annual grocery · 35% of income sales-taxable. Renter: housing = median rent, renter's insurance, no property tax.
Side by side
| Metric | Memphis, TN | Chicago, IL |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 91.9 | 102.5 |
| Unemployment rate | 6.84% | 6.19% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | -0.6% | 0.2% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 56 | 56 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $5.23 | $5.83 |
| Median home price | $247,229 | $353,998 |
| Home price ÷ income | 4.0× | 4.2× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | 0.1% | 4.4% |
| Price per square foot | $124 | $208 |
| Median rent | $1,441 | $2,266 |
| Total tax burden (state avg, Tax Foundation) | 7.6% | 12.9% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.55% | 8.86% |
| Capital gains tax | None | 4.95% |
| Property tax rate | 0.87% | 2.11% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 72.0 yrs | 78.2 yrs |
| Healthcare (annual) | $6,300 | $6,800 |
| Uninsured (share of residents) | 11.2% | 8.4% |
| Primary care providers / 100k | 66 | 85 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $9,000 | $14,000 |
| Vehicle property tax | None | None |
| Days per year ≥ 90°F | 64 | 18 |
| Days per year ≥ 100°F | 2 | 1 |
| Homes with air conditioning (state) | 93% | 96% |
| Avg commute (min) | 24 | 31 |
| Commute by driving alone | 79.6% | 63.6% |
| Home insurance / yr | $2,200 | $1,900 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $1,600 | $1,600 |
| FEMA risk index (0–100, higher = more risk) | 92.9 — Relatively Moderate | 97.1 — Relatively High |
| Flood insurance / yr | $700 | $700 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $350 | $300 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 14.9 | 20.5 |
| Gas $/gal | 2.95 | 3.60 |
| Natural gas / mo | $62 | $82 |
| Water & sewer / mo | $121 | $57 |
| Home internet / mo | $80 | $77 |
| Violent crime /100k (state avg) | 600 | 430 |
| Avg summer high °F | 89 | 85 |
| Avg winter low °F | 30 | 15 |
| Annual precipitation (in) | 54.9 | 40.9 |
| Annual snowfall (in) | 2.7 | 38.8 |
| Sunshine (% possible) | 64% | 54% |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 2 | 4 |
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