with $100k coming in, swapping out of Chicago

change
Las Vegas, NV cityscape

instead of chicago

Las Vegas

nv · metro 2.3M

photo: Perry Z / pexels

a dispatch from

las vegas

NV

36.17°N

115.14°W

Las Vegas is the Strip's neon dream, the desert's quiet edges, and a food scene that has quietly become world-class on the back of all those visiting chefs. Red Rock Canyon is 20 minutes from the Bellagio fountains, which is a useful reset button. Pools open in April and parties go until sunrise. Locals know the best restaurants are always one block off the Strip.

metro2.3M

01 · the verdict

the verdict

$851

cheaper each month than Chicago

Move to Las Vegas and the monthly math gets easier. Chicago's rent is the headline; Las Vegas's is a footnote.
landable, recorded on the las vegas entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,731/mo

20% cheaper than Chicago(vs $2,170/mo)

02state income tax

0%

$412/mo less in state tax than Chicago

vs 4.95% in Chicago

03after rent

$6,602/mo

$851 more than Chicago

gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.

04a house here

$451k

24% more expensive than Chicago

vs $365k in Chicago

05metro size

2.3M

vs 9.3M in Chicago

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

210

pleasant days a year, in las vegas.

Chicago only manages 153 of those. Bring the AC. 104 days a year clear 95°, well past Chicago's 1.

A real upgrade on things to do: 2.7× Chicago's pace.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

80/100

14% higher than Chicago

vs 70/100 in Chicago

Closest outdoor draw: Death Valley National Park, 66.5 mi.

·walk score®

82/100

18% lower than Chicago

vs 100/100 in Chicago

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

133

39% fewer than Chicago

vs 217 nonstops in Chicago

04 · see also

neighbors of las vegas on the map of tradeoffs:

compare las vegas with: