Median rent is 1% lower in Wheaton ($1,799/mo vs $1,821/mo). Buying is cheaper in Wheaton, where the median home runs $455,700 versus $777,600. Households earn more in Wheaton ($120,008 vs $80,483 a year).
City A
New York, NY
City B
Wheaton, IL
How much would you need to earn in Wheaton, IL to maintain your standard of living from New York, NY?
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 metro area. This estimates overall purchasing power; it does not account for taxes or take-home pay differences.
Metric
New York
New York
Wheaton
Illinois
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: Census ACS, BEA, HUD Fair Market Rents, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation
Median rents are similar in both cities: $1,821/mo in New York and $1,799/mo in Wheaton. Home buyers face a steeper market in New York: the median home is $777,600 versus $455,700 in Wheaton — 41% more expensive.
Metric
New York
Wheaton
Software Developer
Registered Nurse
Elementary Teacher
Electrician
Accountant
Higher wage highlighted · BLS OEWS 2023 (metro-level data)
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
New York
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Wheaton
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Air quality data is available for New York (avg AQI 46.0) but not yet for Wheaton.
Pick Wheaton if you prioritize higher median household income ($120,008/yr).
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
Median rent is $1,821/mo in New York, NY and $1,799/mo in Wheaton, IL. Wheaton, IL has the lower rent by about 1%.
Median household income is $80,483 in New York, NY and $120,008 in Wheaton, IL. Wheaton, IL has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Air quality data is not yet available for one or both cities.
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: June 1, 2026 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology
