with $100k coming in, swapping out of Chicago
changea dispatch from
springfield
MO
37.21°N
93.29°W
Springfield is the birthplace of Route 66 (the road was officially named in a meeting here in 1926), Bass Pro Shops' world headquarters, and the gateway to the Ozarks. Wonders of Wildlife (next to the Bass Pro store) is genuinely one of the best aquariums in America. The city itself is friendly, affordable, and surprisingly leafy. Branson is 30 miles south for the lake-and-show experience.
in our guides
the verdict
cheaper each month than Chicago
Springfield is the kind of cheap that changes the math. Same salary, a different life on the other side.
a quick ledger.
$1,249/mo
42% cheaper than Chicago(vs $2,170/mo)
4.7%
$21/mo less in state tax than Chicago
vs 4.95% in Chicago
$6,693/mo
$942 more than Chicago
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$268k
26% cheaper than Chicago
vs $365k in Chicago
491k
vs 9.3M in Chicago
field notes, weather & such.
170
pleasant days a year, in springfield.
Chicago keeps to 153 pleasant days a year.
99% fewer events than Chicago. The pace eases up.
50/100
29% lower than Chicago
vs 70/100 in Chicago
Closest outdoor draw: Bennett Spring State Park, 41.7 mi.
89/100
11% lower than Chicago
vs 100/100 in Chicago
9
96% fewer than Chicago
vs 217 nonstops in Chicago
compare springfield with:
