$100k salary, packing up from Chicago
changea dispatch from
kansas city
MO
39.10°N
94.58°W
Kansas City is barbecue (burnt ends are a local invention), jazz (the 18th and Vine district fed Charlie Parker and Count Basie), and fountains everywhere you turn. The city straddles two states and doesn't make a big deal out of it. The Plaza shopping district looks like Seville, which is delightfully odd for the Midwest. Friendly here means genuinely friendly.
the verdict
under Chicago, every month
The gap is real. Kansas City costs noticeably less than Chicago, every month.
a quick ledger.
$1,502/mo
31% cheaper than Chicago(vs $2,170/mo)
4.7%
$21/mo less in state tax than Chicago
vs 4.95% in Chicago
$6,440/mo
$689 more than Chicago
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$326k
11% cheaper than Chicago
vs $365k in Chicago
2.2M
vs 9.3M in Chicago
field notes, weather & such.
170
pleasant days a year, in kansas city.
Chicago only manages 153 of those.
Chicago hosts 15.4× more events.
56/100
20% lower than Chicago
vs 70/100 in Chicago
Closest outdoor draw: Perry State Park, 48.7 mi.
94/100
6% lower than Chicago
vs 100/100 in Chicago
43
80% fewer than Chicago
vs 217 nonstops in Chicago
if kansas city appeals, also worth a look:
