Chicago, IL vs El Paso, TX
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 $172,000 in El Paso, a gap of roughly 46%. El Paso also has no state income tax, while the other state tops out at 5.0% — a meaningful annual difference at higher income levels.
Median Home Value
$315,200
$171,700 ✓
Zillow Home Value
$312,456
$231,885
Median Gross Rent
$1,380/mo
$1,041/mo ✓
Owner Occupied %
45.5%
60.2%
Price-to-Rent Ratio
19.0x
13.7x
Median Household Income
$75,134 ✓
$58,734
Per Capita Income
$48,148
$28,942
Unemployment Rate
7.9%
6.2% ✓
Poverty Rate
16.8%
18.4%
Avg Commute (min)
36.7 min
25.2 min
Drove Alone %
46.0%
76.5%
Public Transit %
19.3%
1.1%
Work From Home %
18.3%
7.8%
State Income Tax
5.0%
None
Total Sales Tax
8.7%
8.2% ✓
Property Tax Rate
2.2%
1.7%
Bachelor's Degree %
24.9%
18.3%
Median Age
35.7
34.1
Avg High Temp
60.3°F
78.6°F
Annual Precipitation
34.4"
8.8"
Annual Snowfall
—
2.8"
Chicago, IL 1 wins
- ✓Median Household Income
El Paso, TX 4 wins
- ✓Median Home Value
- ✓Median Gross Rent
- ✓Total Sales Tax
- ✓Unemployment Rate
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