Head to head
Arlington, TX vs Chicago, IL
Arlington is cheaper — estimated essentials for a single person run about $16/mo less, and living comfortably there takes roughly $5,500 less in annual salary (taxes included).
It flips for a family. For two adults with a pre-schooler and a school-age child, Chicago is the cheaper of the two — rent scales to household size using each city's own bedroom spread, and childcare varies even more sharply between cities than rent does.
| Metric | Arlington71 | Chicago61 |
|---|---|---|
| Est. monthly cost (single) | $4,277 | $4,293 |
| Est. monthly cost (family of 4, incl. childcare) | $10,055 | $9,545 |
| Salary for comfort | $75,500/yr | $81,000/yr |
| Typical rent | $1,723 | $1,781 |
| Median home value | $276,400 | $315,200 |
| Median household income | $73,519 | $75,134 |
| Unemployment | 4.7% | 5.9% |
| Housing score | 57 | 52 |
| Jobs score | 51 | 7 |
| Safety score | 65 | 66 |
| Climate score | 94 | 89 |
| Amenities score | 73 | 73 |
| Population | 394.8K | 2.7M |
| Summer high / winter low | 95° / 36° | 85° / 21° |
Fit scores use the reference profile (single, $6,700/mo gross, default weights). Green marks the better value per row.
Arlington, TX
Chicago, IL