Chicago, IL vs Boulder, CO
Moving from Chicago to Boulder? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($353,998 → $727,954 median home) and taxes.
Chicago vs Boulder 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 Chicago, IL, you'd need about $99,258 in Boulder, CO (−$742).
Livability — Chicago, IL: 63 · Boulder, CO: 54 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 2,402 sqft in Chicago vs 1,305 sqft in Boulder ($208 vs $383 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Chicago, IL | Boulder, CO | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $27,192 | $27,084 | −$108 |
| Groceries | $5,215 | $4,814 | −$401 |
| Transportation | $3,550 | $4,050 | +$500 |
| Utilities | $4,800 | $5,052 | +$252 |
| Insurance | $180 | $180 | +$0 |
| Taxes | $8,051 | $7,120 | −$931 |
| Total | $48,988 | $48,299 | −$689 |
Effective state & local tax rate on $100,000 — Chicago, IL: 8.1% · Boulder, CO: 7.1% (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 | Chicago, IL | Boulder, CO |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 102.5 | 100.6 |
| Unemployment rate | 6.19% | 4.41% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | 0.2% | 3.8% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 56 | 49 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $5.83 | $5.72 |
| Median home price | $353,998 | $727,954 |
| Home price ÷ income | 4.2× | 7.3× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | 4.4% | -2.6% |
| Price per square foot | $208 | $383 |
| Median rent | $2,266 | $2,257 |
| Total tax burden (state avg, Tax Foundation) | 12.9% | 9.7% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.86% | 7.77% |
| Capital gains tax | 4.95% | 4.40% |
| Property tax rate | 2.11% | 0.53% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 78.2 yrs | 82.3 yrs |
| Healthcare (annual) | $6,800 | $6,800 |
| Uninsured (share of residents) | 8.4% | 5.9% |
| Primary care providers / 100k | 85 | 120 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $14,000 | $16,000 |
| Vehicle property tax | None | 1.79% |
| Days per year ≥ 90°F | 18 | 0 |
| Days per year ≥ 100°F | 1 | 0 |
| Homes with air conditioning (state) | 96% | 82% |
| Avg commute (min) | 31 | 23 |
| Commute by driving alone | 63.6% | 55.6% |
| Home insurance / yr | $1,900 | $2,800 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $1,600 | $2,000 |
| FEMA risk index (0–100, higher = more risk) | 97.1 — Relatively High | 90.7 — Relatively Moderate |
| Flood insurance / yr | $700 | $550 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $300 | $100 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 20.5 | 16.5 |
| Gas $/gal | 3.60 | 3.30 |
| Natural gas / mo | $82 | $65 |
| Water & sewer / mo | $57 | $120 |
| Home internet / mo | $77 | $87 |
| Violent crime /100k (state avg) | 430 | 490 |
| Avg summer high °F | 85 | 88 |
| Avg winter low °F | 15 | 18 |
| Annual precipitation (in) | 40.9 | 15.4 |
| Annual snowfall (in) | 38.8 | 49.0 |
| Sunshine (% possible) | 54% | 69% |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 4 | 3 |
Ad · affiliate links
Find a job in Chicago or Boulder
Openings in each metro, so you can check what your salary actually looks like before you move.