Key takeaway: Every number on Chicago Cost of Living links to its source, shows when it was last checked, and comes from the agency that sets it whenever one exists.
Our five rules
- We only publish a number we can link to. Every figure has a visible source link next to it or directly under its table.
- We start with the source that sets the number. The CTA for fares, the City of Chicago for water rates and the minimum wage, the Cook County Treasurer for property taxes, and the utilities’ own filings and the Illinois Commerce Commission for utility rates.
- Then we use the best available data. Where no agency sets a price, as with rent and childcare, we use established data providers such as Zillow, Rentometer and RentHop, federal surveys from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and reporting from local newsrooms including WBEZ, WTTW, the Sun-Times and Axios Chicago.
- When sources disagree, we show you. Rent is the clearest example: four reputable sources can give four different numbers. We list them side by side and explain why they differ.
- Every page shows when it was last checked. When a number changes, we update it and the date.
Our own calculations
Some figures are math we do on sourced numbers, such as the income needed to keep rent at 30% of pay, or what 10.5% sales tax adds to a $500 purchase. We label those as our calculation and show the formula, so you can redo it yourself.
How often we update
- As they change: taxes, fares, the minimum wage and utility rates, which usually change on a set date.
- Monthly: rent figures, as new data is released.
- Whenever we revisit a page: we recheck its sources and refresh the date.
Corrections
If we get something wrong, we fix it and note the correction at the bottom of the page, with the date.
Independence
No one pays to change a number on this site. If we ever run sponsored content or listings, they will be clearly labeled, and sponsors will never have a say in our data.