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 | Elgin | Houston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,190/mo | $1,235/mo | 3.6% lower in A |
| Median home value | $242,500 | $235,000 | 3.2% higher in A |
| Median household income | $85,998 | $60,440 | 42.3% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 96.3 | 97.7 | 1.4% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 91.7 | 106.5 | 13.9% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 96.9 | 97.3 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 99.1 | 90.9 | 9.0% 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 Elgin, you'd need $103,783 in Houston to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Elgin, IL is about 3.6% cheaper overall than Houston, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 4% lower in Elgin than in Houston. If you earn $80,000 in Elgin, you'd need about $83,026 in Houston to keep the same standard of living.