Median rent is 20% lower in Lexington-Fayette ($1,101/mo vs $1,380/mo). Buying is cheaper in Lexington-Fayette, where the median home runs $272,100 versus $315,200. Households earn more in Chicago ($75,134 vs $67,631 a year).
City A
Chicago, IL
City B
Lexington-Fayette, KY
How much would you need to earn in Lexington-Fayette, KY to maintain your standard of living from Chicago, IL?
A cost-of-living index isn't available for one of these cities yet, so we can't compute an equivalent salary.
Based on BEA Regional Price Parity (cost index) for each city's metro area. A rough estimate of overall purchasing power, not tax or take-home pay.
Metric
Chicago
Illinois
Lexington-Fayette
Kentucky
👥Population
💰Median Household Income
Annual
🏠Median Gross Rent
Per month
🏡Median Home Value
📊Cost of Living Index
US avg = 100
🔑1BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
🔑2BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
🔑3BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
🌬️Air Quality Index
Lower = cleaner
🏛️Top State Income Tax
Top marginal rate
🧾State Sales Tax
Statewide base rate
🎂Median Age
Years
✓ = better value · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation
Median rent is modestly lower in Lexington-Fayette at $1,101/mo compared to $1,380/mo in Chicago (20% gap). Median home values are within 14% of each other: $315,200 in Chicago and $272,100 in Lexington-Fayette.
1BR Fair Market Rent
2BR Fair Market Rent
BLS OEWS 2023 — metro-level data
Illinois's top income tax rate is 4.95% versus 4.00% in Kentucky, so Lexington-Fayette is more tax-friendly for high earners. Sales tax is 6.25% in Illinois and 6.00% in Kentucky; Lexington-Fayette has the lower rate (local add-ons may apply in both).
Chicago
Income tax: 4.95%
Sales tax: 6.25%
Lexington-Fayette
Income tax: 4.00%
Sales tax: 6.00%
Lexington-Fayette has cleaner air on average: 18.0 AQI (Good) compared to 21.0 AQI (Good) in the other city. Lower AQI means cleaner, healthier air.
Pick Chicago if you prioritize higher median household income ($75,134/yr).
Pick Lexington-Fayette if you prioritize cheaper rent ($1,101/mo median).
Pick Lexington-Fayette if you prioritize lower state income tax (4.00%).
Is Chicago cheaper than Lexington-Fayette?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in Chicago vs Lexington-Fayette?
Median rent is $1,380/mo in Chicago, IL and $1,101/mo in Lexington-Fayette, KY. Lexington-Fayette, KY has the lower rent by about 20%.
Which has higher salaries — Chicago or Lexington-Fayette?
Median household income is $75,134 in Chicago, IL and $67,631 in Lexington-Fayette, KY. Chicago, IL has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Which city has better air quality?
Lexington-Fayette, KY has better air quality on average: 18.0 AQI versus 21.0 AQI. Both are EPA AirNow annual averages; lower is better.
Which has lower taxes — Chicago or Lexington-Fayette?
Illinois's top income tax rate is 4.95% and Kentucky's is 4.00%. Lexington-Fayette, KY has the lower rate.
What salary do I need in Lexington-Fayette to match my Chicago income?
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: December 1, 2024 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology