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 | Evanston | Washington | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,625/mo | $1,817/mo | 10.6% lower in A |
| Median home value | $454,600 | $705,000 | 35.5% lower in A |
| Median household income | $93,188 | $101,722 | 8.4% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 104.0 | 104.0 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 86.0 | 101.0 | 14.8% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 99.4 | 98.6 | 0.8% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 100.1 | 99.5 | 0.6% 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 Evanston, you'd need $113,739 in Washington to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Evanston, IL is about 12.1% cheaper overall than Washington, DC, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 21% lower in Evanston than in Washington. If you earn $80,000 in Evanston, you'd need about $90,991 in Washington to keep the same standard of living.