Chicago vs Lawrence
The short version
- Lawrence is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 13% lower than in the Chicago area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $292,700 in Lawrence and $334,100 in Chicago.
- Households earn more in Chicago ($77,902 vs $65,009 median).
- Lawrence has the warmer winter: January highs of 38°F vs 33°F.
- Chicago gets far more snow: 39 inches a year vs 10.
- Lawrence has more scorching days: 42 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 20.
- Lawrence is growing faster: +1.5% since 2020 vs -0.6%.
- Commutes are shorter in Lawrence (20 vs 33 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Chicago, IL | Lawrence, KS | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 2,731,585 | 96,367 |
| Growth since 2020 | -0.6% | +1.5% |
| People per square mile | 11,994 | 2,784 |
| Median age | 35.8 | 29.3 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 44% | 56% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $77,902 | $65,009 |
| Median home value | $334,100 | $292,700 |
| Home value to income | 4.3× | 4.5× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,440 | $1,091 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 103.6 | 90.2 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 112.0 | 71.6 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $77,700 | $67,700 |
| Homeowners | 46% | 44% |
| Top state income tax | 4.95% | 5.58% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.98% | 8.71% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 33.1 | 19.8 |
| Work from home | 21% | 16% |
| Take public transit | 18% | 3% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 8% | 4.4% |
| Poverty rate | 16.8% | 17.4% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 33° / 19° | 38° / 19° |
| July high / low | 85° / 68° | 89° / 70° |
| Precipitation per year | 34 in | 39 in |
| Snowfall per year | 39 in | 10 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 20 | 42 |
| Nights below freezing | 106 | 103 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Very High | Relatively Low |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 100.0 | 74.8 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 30% | n/a |
| Home prices, past year | +6.2% | +4.8% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +45.5% | +41.6% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Chicago: May to October. Lawrence: April and September to October.
Full monthly tables: Chicago weather by month and Lawrence weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $77,700 in Chicago and $67,700 in Lawrence. Moving from Chicago to Lawrence, you would need about $65,300 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Chicago and Lawrence
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Chicago and Lawrence.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.