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Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
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Chicago skyline
Diego Delso. CC BY-SA 3.0. Photo source · License
Ames
User:Raivena. CC BY 3.0. Photo source · License

Moving from Chicago to Ames

Moving from Chicago to Ames: −$11/mo after tax & rent

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical month
Less leftMore left

ChicagoAmesAbout 302 miles apart, close enough to drive.

  • Ames costs you more
  • Rent under 30% of pay
  • Real winters

$2,415/mo in Ames. $2,426/mo in Chicago. −$132 a year.

Chicago

$2,426

left each month

Ames

$2,415

−$11 vs Chicago

Full comparison
Ames wins 2 of 4Chicago 2 · ties 0
$6,079Take-home · Chicago$4,891
$1,782Rent · Ames$760
$1,871Other bills · Ames$1,716
$2,426Left over · Chicago$2,415

Next

Leftover vs a cost index

Who already made this move

In 2022-2023, 36 households moved Chicago → Ames (about 54 people, average AGI $39,194). 55 households went the other way.

Source: IRS SOI county-to-county migration. Not a moving company; not a recommendation.

See full breakdown
Per monthChicagoAmes
Take-home$6,079$4,891
Rent$1,782$760
All other costs$1,871$1,716
Left over$2,426$2,415

Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Chicago and Ames changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.

What the move itself costs

About 362 road miles, 1 bedroom. Typical ranges, not quotes.

Full-service mover
$1,950–$3,600
Container or pod
$1,300–$2,500
Rent a truck
$550–$1,050

Movers in Ames and how to hire one →

Explore more

Other moves from Chicago

Dig into Ames

Moving from Illinois

Questions

Is Ames cheaper than Chicago after tax and rent?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Ames leaves about $11 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,782 in Chicago and $760 in Ames.

Does Ames have state income tax?

Ames is in Iowa, which taxes wage income.

Did people actually move from Chicago to Ames?

Yes, when the IRS published that flow. The count and their average income are on this page. Leftover prices the same household in both cities.