Cost of Living: Blacksburg, VA vs Chicago, IL

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,181/mo in Blacksburg, VA versus $4,227/mo in Chicago, IL. In the model, rent is about 18.81% of gross in Blacksburg, VA versus 20.28% in Chicago, IL, so Blacksburg, VA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Blacksburg, VA
$4,181/mo
Income level: above
Take-home in Chicago, IL
$4,227/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Blacksburg, VA
18.81%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Chicago, IL
20.28%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Blacksburg, VA and Chicago, IL.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Chicago, IL
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Blacksburg, VA
  • Lower home prices: Chicago, IL
  • Higher median household income: Chicago, IL

Cost of Living Index

Blacksburg, VA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Chicago, IL: 98.3 (U.S. = 100)

Chicago, IL has a lower cost-of-living index than Blacksburg, VA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Blacksburg, VA: $1,226/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Chicago, IL: $1,323/mo

Median rent in Chicago, IL is $97/mo higher than in Blacksburg, VA.

Median Home Price

Blacksburg, VA: $417,200 · Chicago, IL: $147,800

Median home price in Blacksburg, VA is $269,400 higher than in Chicago, IL.

Median Household Income

Blacksburg, VA: $48,070 · Chicago, IL: $56,815

Chicago, IL has a higher median household income than Blacksburg, VA by $8,745.

Blacksburg, VA overview · Chicago, IL overview · Popular comparisons