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Chicago

Illinois state data

High tax burden · COL index 92

Wins 7 categories

VS

Dallas

Texas state data

Moderate tax burden · COL index 97

Wins 4 categories

Data reflects Illinois vs Texas state-level figures. City-specific data coming soon.

Illinois
Texas

Taxes

4.95%
Income Tax (top rate)
None
1.73%/yr
Property Tax Rate
1.6%/yr
8.82%
Sales Tax (avg)
8.19%
Yes
Social Security Tax
Yes
No
Estate Tax
Yes
As income
Capital Gains Tax
None

Housing & Cost of Living

92
COL Index (100=avg)
97
$275K
Median Home Price
$340K
$1,400/mo
Median Rent (2BR/mo)
$1,600/mo
$2K/yr
Home Insurance (avg/yr)
$3K/yr

Crime & Safety

413
Violent Crime / 100K
447
1,666
Property Crime / 100K
2,478

Healthcare

#20 of 50
Healthcare Quality Rank
#36 of 50
77.2 yrs
Life Expectancy
76.3 yrs
7.4%
Uninsured Rate
18.4%
Yes
Medicaid Expansion
No

Education

#16 of 50
K-12 Quality Rank
#36 of 50
No
School Choice / Vouchers
Yes

Childcare

$1,650/mo
Avg Infant Care / mo
$1,050/mo

Utilities & Daily Costs

$145/mo
Avg Energy Bill / mo
$145/mo
$510/mo
Avg Groceries / mo
$480/mo
#40 of 50
Road Quality Rank
#31 of 50

Social Policy

A
Gun Laws Grade
F
D+14.0
2024 Presidential Margin
R+14.0

Category wins

7

Chicago

4

Dallas

Run the full slider tool to score these states against your income, home value, retirement, and lifestyle priorities.

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People Also Ask

Is it better to live in Chicago or Dallas?

Dallas has a lower crime rate than Chicago Chicago has a crime index of 65.6 compared to Dallas's 51.5. But this doesn't mean all parts of Chicago are dangerous or all parts of Dallas are safe — both cities have safer and higher-crime neighborhoods.

Is $75000 a good salary in Dallas?

Does Chicago or Dallas have a higher crime rate?

Is $100,000 a good salary in Dallas?

Explore Illinois in depth →Explore Texas in depth →

Your Priorities

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Quick Profiles

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Annual Income

$150K

Affects effective income tax rate

$0$500K$5M+

Retirement Savings

$0

Affects pension and SS tax burden

None$500K$10M+

Social Security

None

Annual Social Security benefit

None$150K/yr

My Property Is Worth

$400K

Affects property tax burden

Tax burden ↓$1M$50M+

Home Buying Budget

$400K

Compared to state median home price

Hard to find$250K$5M+

Monthly Rent Budget

Don't care

Compared to state median 2BR rent

Don't care$10K/mo

Job Market

Don't care

State unemployment and job growth

Don't careHot market

Airport Access

Don't care

Direct flight destinations from state hubs

Don't careMust have hub

City vs Country

Mid-size city

% urban population

Deep countryBig city

Sunshine

Don't care

Annual sunny days per state

Don't careMax sunshine

Food Scene

Don't care

Restaurants per 100K residents

Don't careWorld-class

Political Preference

Neutral

State's political lean

LiberalConservative

Gun Laws

Neutral

State gun law grade (Giffords)

Gun Control2A Freedom

Abortion Access

Neutral

State abortion access policy

Pro-ChoiceNeutralPro-Life

Community

None

Congregations per 100K residents

AvoidDon't careSeek

Sports & Entertainment

Don't care

Pro sports teams and major venues

Don't careMust have pro teams

Cannabis Laws

Neutral

State cannabis legality

Prefer LegalNeutralPrefer Prohibition

Retiree Community

Neutral

% population 65+ (Census)

Young areaRetirement-heavy

Dating Market

Neutral

% adults never-married (Census)

Singles sceneFamily community

Safety / Low Crime

Don't care

Violent crime rate per 100K (FBI)

Don't careVery safe

School Quality

Don't care

K-12 rank (Education Week)

Don't careTop-ranked

Healthcare Access

Don't care

Healthcare system rank (Commonwealth Fund)

Don't careTop-ranked

Childcare Affordability

Don't care

Cost of living proxy for childcare affordability

Don't careMust be affordable