Cost of Living: State College borough, PA vs Chicago, IL

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,337/mo in State College borough, PA versus $4,227/mo in Chicago, IL. In the model, rent is about 17.91% of gross in State College borough, PA versus 20.28% in Chicago, IL, so State College borough, PA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in State College borough, PA
$4,337/mo
Income level: above
Take-home in Chicago, IL
$4,227/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in State College borough, PA
17.91%
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 State College borough, PA and Chicago, IL.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

State College borough, PA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Chicago, IL: 98.3 (U.S. = 100)

Chicago, IL has a lower cost-of-living index than State College borough, PA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

State College borough, PA: $1,168/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Chicago, IL: $1,323/mo

Median rent in Chicago, IL is $155/mo higher than in State College borough, PA.

Median Home Price

State College borough, PA: $414,400 · Chicago, IL: $147,800

Median home price in State College borough, PA is $266,600 higher than in Chicago, IL.

Median Household Income

State College borough, PA: $47,132 · Chicago, IL: $56,815

Chicago, IL has a higher median household income than State College borough, PA by $9,683.

State College borough, PA overview · Chicago, IL overview · Popular comparisons