Source-led head-to-head · 2024 ACS
Moving from Fremont to Chicago
The 2024 ACS 5-year data shows Fremont has a median household income of $181,506 and median home value of $1,403,800, while Chicago reports $77,902 income and $334,100 home value. Fremont’s higher income aligns with significantly higher housing costs, but its 33-minute commute is shorter than Chicago’s 36 minutes. Chicago applies a 4.95% state income tax in the model, whereas Fremont’s state tax is excluded per data boundaries. These trade-offs reflect income, housing, commute, and tax considerations without implying one city is universally better.
Corridor Direction & Trade-off Delta
⇄ Switch to Chicago → FremontMoving from Fremont to Chicago
Median Rent Impact
-$1,493/mo
Moving to Chicago saves ~$17,916/yr in rent.
State Tax Treatment
+5.0%
~$4,950 more state tax on a $100k salary in Illinois.
Daily Commute Difference
+3 min / day
Difference of ~25 hours per year spent commuting based on 2024 ACS midpoint averages.
Your move
Compare the life behind the offer.
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Search all 32,330 U.S. Census places directly below.Instant results use official 2024 ACS place data. Places with incomplete required signals remain visible in search but cannot be selected.
Directional estimate using ACS citywide benchmarks. Verified profiles may include a simplified state-tax reference; automatically added profiles exclude state tax until an official reference is approved. Exact tax, benefits, debt, housing, insurance, and personal circumstances may materially change the result.
LIVE VERDICTFRE → CHI
70/ 100
Worth serious consideration
Your modeled annual room improves.Estimated annual life delta+$24,756after essentials; unverified state tax excluded
Best gainMedian rent is 22% of median income, below common affordability benchmarks.
Watch closelyLower rent burden may reflect older housing stock or income distribution, not necessarily lower housing quality or availability.
The short answer
In the uniform one-person renting baseline, Chicago is about $17,916 lower per year. This is not a verdict by itself: replace city medians with the actual offer, address, household, benefits, insurance, and tax details before deciding.
Fremont household income$181,506
Chicago household income$77,902
Fremont gross rent$2,933
Chicago gross rent$1,440
Housing, income, and tax reference
| Metric | Fremont | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 ACS population | 228,295 | 2,711,226 |
| Median household income | $181,506 | $77,902 |
| Median gross rent | $2,933 | $1,440 |
| Median owner-occupied home value | $1,403,800 | $334,100 |
| State-tax treatment | Excluded | 4.95% simplified |
Time and daily routine
The commute-time distribution produces a weighted one-way estimate of about 33 minutes in Fremont and 36 minutes in Chicago. This citywide estimate cannot capture a specific route, remote-work schedule, or transit choice, so the calculator converts it into an explicit time difference instead of hiding it in a subjective lifestyle score.
Decision checklist
- Median household income
- Median owner-occupied home value
- Derived one-way commute time
- State individual income tax treatment
What each city wins
Fremont
Median rent consumes nearly 20% of median income before other essentials.. Watch high income offsets high housing costs, but residual affordability remains tight after baseline non-housing expenses..
Chicago
Median rent is 22% of median income, below common affordability benchmarks.. Watch lower rent burden may reflect older housing stock or income distribution, not necessarily lower housing quality or availability..
Frequently asked questions
How do housing costs compare relative to income in Fremont and Chicago?
Fremont’s median home value is about 4.2 times its median income, while Chicago’s is roughly 4.3 times, indicating similar housing-cost-to-income ratios despite large absolute differences in both metrics.
What is the difference in estimated commute times between the two cities?
Fremont’s derived one-way commute estimate is 33 minutes, which is 3 minutes shorter than Chicago’s 36-minute estimate based on 2024 ACS table B08303 weighted midpoints.
Source boundary: Core figures come from the 2024 ACS five-year tables linked on each city profile. Commute is derived from B08303 midpoint weighting. A state-tax value without an approved official reference is excluded and disclosed. This comparison becomes index-eligible only after its unique analysis clears the content quality gate.