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 | Wake Forest | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,354/mo | 3.0% lower in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $397,300 | 23.4% lower in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $115,159 | 37.8% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 104.3 | 97.2 | 7.2% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 86.2 | 90.7 | 5.0% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 99.9 | 98.9 | 1.0% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.6 | 97.2 | 2.5% 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 $96,742 in Wake Forest to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Wake Forest, NC is about 3.3% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 5% lower in Wake Forest than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $77,393 in Wake Forest to keep the same standard of living.