Example household · Kokomo, IN · $83,730 · same pay · 1 adult

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Kokomo vs Chicago

Kokomo and Chicago

Photo: Diego Delso / Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 3.0

Assumed income $83,730, same in both cities. Example, until you change it.

Same pay in both cities. One adult, one bedroom.

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So you know: homicide deaths in Chicago are above the US rate in this release, 11.2 versus 6.5 per 100,000. CDC via County Health Rankings, CDC NVSS 2017–2023 (CHR 2025 release).

Why people look at Kokomo to Chicago

IRS migration on this site does not list a filed flow from Kokomo to Chicago above the cutoff in 2022-2023.

A one-bedroom asking rent is about $766 in Kokomo and $1,782 in Chicago. Kokomo has a state tax on wages. Chicago has a state tax on wages. Local pay in Chicago is 105% of the national level for the same work, against 86% in Kokomo.

Chicago averages 189 sunny days, with July highs around 84°F and January nights around 20°F. Kokomo is 195 sunny days, 82°F in July, 26°F in January. Commutes average 33 minutes in Chicago and 20 in Kokomo.

These figures are projections built from available public data. Conditions change, and the numbers may not reflect current prices, taxes, or immigration rules. Check official sources before you make decisions.

How we figure this

Who already made this move

The IRS did not publish a large enough Kokomo → Chicago pair for 2022-2023. That usually means fewer than a few dozen tax returns, not that nobody moved.

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

The monthly number is take-home pay minus rent and the other bills. The gap between Kokomo and Chicago changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this.

What the move itself costs

About 151 road miles, 1 bedroom. Typical ranges, not quotes.

Full-service mover
$1,700–$3,150
Container or pod
$1,150–$2,150
Rent a truck
$450–$800

Movers in Chicago and how to hire one →

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Questions

Is Chicago cheaper than Kokomo after tax and rent?

No. Chicago leaves about $943 less a month, so the cost of living is higher there for this household. A one-bedroom is about $766 in Kokomo and $1,782 in Chicago.

Does Chicago have state income tax?

Chicago is in Illinois, which taxes wage income.

Did people actually move from Kokomo to Chicago?

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.