Chicago vs Sarasota
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $334,100 in Chicago and $463,000 in Sarasota.
- Households earn more in Chicago ($77,902 vs $72,105 median).
- Sarasota has the warmer winter: January highs of 73°F vs 33°F.
- Chicago gets far more snow: 39 inches a year vs 0.
- Sarasota has more scorching days: 85 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 20.
- Sarasota is growing faster: +6.6% since 2020 vs -0.6%.
- Commutes are shorter in Sarasota (21 vs 33 minutes each way).
- Florida has no state income tax on wages; Illinois's top rate is 4.95%.
Side by side
| Chicago, IL | Sarasota, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 2,731,585 | 58,458 |
| Growth since 2020 | -0.6% | +6.6% |
| People per square mile | 11,994 | 3,976 |
| Median age | 35.8 | 48.2 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 44% | 42% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $77,902 | $72,105 |
| Median home value | $334,100 | $463,000 |
| Home value to income | 4.3× | 6.4× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,440 | $1,684 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 103.6 | 102.4 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 112.0 | 128.0 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $77,700 | $76,800 |
| Homeowners | 46% | 58% |
| Top state income tax | 4.95% | None |
| Combined sales tax | 8.98% | 6.98% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 33.1 | 20.7 |
| Work from home | 21% | 13% |
| Take public transit | 18% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 8% | 3.6% |
| Poverty rate | 16.8% | 15% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 33° / 19° | 73° / 52° |
| July high / low | 85° / 68° | 91° / 75° |
| Precipitation per year | 34 in | 49 in |
| Snowfall per year | 39 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 20 | 85 |
| Nights below freezing | 106 | 1 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 6 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Very High | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 100.0 | 98.2 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 30% | 63% |
| Home prices, past year | +6.2% | -0.5% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +45.5% | +37.5% |
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. Sarasota: November to April.
Full monthly tables: Chicago weather by month and Sarasota 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 $76,800 in Sarasota. Moving from Chicago to Sarasota, you would need about $74,100 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Chicago and Sarasota
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 Sarasota.
Which would you pick?
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