City comparison
Chicago, IL is about 80 miles (125 km) from West Allis, WI in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 100 miles, or about 1 h 45 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Chicago, IL to West Allis, WI takes about 10 min, covering roughly 80 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Chicago has a population of 2,721,914, vs 59,907 in West Allis — about 45.4× larger by population. By land area, Chicago covers about 230 sq mi vs 11 sq mi for West Allis.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
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 | West Allis | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $954/mo | 37.7% higher in Chicago |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $176,100 | 72.9% higher in Chicago |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $64,888 | 10.5% higher in Chicago |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 94.0 | 13.1% higher in Chicago |
| Utilities index | 84.4 | 91.6 | 8.6% higher in West Allis |
| Transportation index | 100.3 | 99.2 | 1.1% higher in Chicago |
| Healthcare index | 100.2 | 99.4 | 0.8% higher in Chicago |
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 $91,809 in West Allis to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
West Allis, WI is about 8.2% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 17% higher in Chicago than in West Allis. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $73,448 in West Allis to keep the same standard of living.