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 | Rochester | St. Charles | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,218/mo | $1,115/mo | 9.2% higher in A |
| Median home value | $268,800 | $259,700 | 3.5% higher in A |
| Median household income | $83,973 | $83,589 | 0.5% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 95.7 | 98.9 | 3.2% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 88.7 | 76.5 | 16.0% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 93.6 | 98.1 | 4.6% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 94.3 | 98.8 | 4.6% lower 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 Rochester, you'd need $99,966 in St. Charles to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Rochester and St. Charles have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 3% lower in St. Charles than in Rochester. If you earn $80,000 in Rochester, you'd need about $79,973 in St. Charles to keep the same standard of living.