City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Chicago | Gastonia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,075/mo | 22.2% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $219,700 | 38.6% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $58,047 | 23.5% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 98.6 | 1.4% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 95.3 | 3.1% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 82.2 | 20.0% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.4 | 95.4 | 2.1% higher in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Chicago, you'd need $88,710 in Gastonia to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Gastonia, NC is about 11.3% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 18% lower in Gastonia than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $70,968 in Gastonia to keep the same standard of living.