Chicago, IL vs Birmingham, AL
Cost of living comparison · 2023 Census ACS data
Quick Summary
Chicago is materially more expensive on housing — $315,000 for a typical home compared with $139,000 in Birmingham, a gap of roughly 56%.
Median Home Value
$315,200
$138,600 ✓
Zillow Home Value
$312,456
$134,654
Median Gross Rent
$1,380/mo
$1,047/mo ✓
Owner Occupied %
45.5%
45.1%
Price-to-Rent Ratio
19.0x
11.0x
Median Household Income
$75,134 ✓
$44,376
Per Capita Income
$48,148
$31,616
Unemployment Rate
7.9%
6.1% ✓
Poverty Rate
16.8%
25.2%
Avg Commute (min)
36.7 min
23.3 min
Drove Alone %
46.0%
74.4%
Public Transit %
19.3%
1.3%
Work From Home %
18.3%
8.5%
State Income Tax
5.0%
5.0%
Total Sales Tax
8.7% ✓
9.2%
Property Tax Rate
2.2%
0.4%
Bachelor's Degree %
24.9%
18.4%
Median Age
35.7
35.9
Avg High Temp
60.3°F
—
Annual Precipitation
34.4"
58.1"
Chicago, IL 2 wins
- ✓Total Sales Tax
- ✓Median Household Income
Birmingham, AL 3 wins
- ✓Median Home Value
- ✓Median Gross Rent
- ✓Unemployment Rate
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