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 | Rockwall | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,728/mo | 24.0% lower in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $355,000 | 14.2% lower in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $114,799 | 37.6% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 104.3 | 101.6 | 2.6% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 86.2 | 91.9 | 6.2% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 99.9 | 99.9 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 99.6 | 98.2 | 1.4% 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 $105,617 in Rockwall to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago, IL is about 5.3% cheaper overall than Rockwall, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 11% lower in Chicago than in Rockwall. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $84,494 in Rockwall to keep the same standard of living.