with $100k coming in, swapping out of Chicago
changea dispatch from
memphis
TN
35.15°N
90.05°W
Memphis is dry-rub ribs, Beale Street neon, and the rooms where Stax and Sun Records changed pop music forever. Graceland is a tourist pilgrimage that's still genuinely moving. The Mississippi rolls past, the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel is essential, and the BBQ debate (rib joints vs. the chopped-pork houses) is a local pastime. Soulful in the literal sense.
in our guides
the verdict
cheaper each month than Chicago
In Memphis, rent stops being the headline. The cost gap shows up every month without you trying.
a quick ledger.
$1,436/mo
34% cheaper than Chicago(vs $2,170/mo)
0%
$412/mo less in state tax than Chicago
vs 4.95% in Chicago
$6,897/mo
$1,146 more than Chicago
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$244k
33% cheaper than Chicago
vs $365k in Chicago
1.3M
vs 9.3M in Chicago
field notes, weather & such.
185
pleasant days a year, in memphis.
Chicago keeps to 153 pleasant days a year.
Noticeably quieter than Chicago. About 97% fewer events on a typical month.
56/100
20% lower than Chicago
vs 70/100 in Chicago
Closest outdoor draw: To Fuller, 7.3 mi.
89/100
11% lower than Chicago
vs 100/100 in Chicago
32
85% fewer than Chicago
vs 217 nonstops in Chicago
same energy as memphis, different zip code:
compare memphis with:
