Cost of Living: Wooster, OH vs Chicago, IL

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,356/mo in Wooster, OH versus $4,227/mo in Chicago, IL. In the model, rent is about 12.86% of gross in Wooster, OH versus 20.28% in Chicago, IL, so Wooster, OH tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Wooster, OH
$4,356/mo
Income level: near
Take-home in Chicago, IL
$4,227/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Wooster, OH
12.86%
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 Wooster, OH and Chicago, IL.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Wooster, OH: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Chicago, IL: 98.3 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Wooster, OH: $838/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Chicago, IL: $1,323/mo

Median rent in Chicago, IL is $485/mo higher than in Wooster, OH.

Median Home Price

Wooster, OH: $198,400 · Chicago, IL: $147,800

Median home price in Wooster, OH is $50,600 higher than in Chicago, IL.

Median Household Income

Wooster, OH: $65,888 · Chicago, IL: $56,815

Wooster, OH has a higher median household income than Chicago, IL by $9,073.

Wooster, OH overview · Chicago, IL overview · Popular comparisons