Money / Economy
7 min Read
Written by Martin Dasko
Edited by Rebekah Evans
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The Midwest offers a unique lifestyle, attracting many with its lower cost of living and a slower pace compared to other regions of the country. Many will tout the benefits of living in the Midwest regarding lower real estate prices. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the national median price for existing home sales increased to $393,500 in March. Meanwhile, the median price was $292,400 in the Midwest compared to $434,600 in the Northeast and $603,000 in the West.
How much does it cost to live comfortably in 50 major Midwest cities? We will share the livability index, the total annual cost of living, and the salary needed to live comfortably.
There are also many locations in the Midwest where you can retire on $2,500, which may not be possible in other states.
Check Out:
Naperville, IL
- Livability Score: 84
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $66,713.30
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $133,426.61
Carmel, IN
- Livability Score: 83
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $61,994.96
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $123,989.92
Plymouth, MN
- Livability Score: 83
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $61,659.39
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $123,318.77
Woodbury, MN
- Livability Score: 87
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $59,488.55
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $118,977.10
Lakeville, MN
- Livability Score: 83
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $58,533.48
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $117,066.96
Overland Park, KS
- Livability Score: 79
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $58,186.00
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $116,371.99
Arlington Heights, IL
- Livability Score: 80
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $56,536.98
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $113,073.96
Evanston, IL
- Livability Score: 83
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $56,514.34
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $113,028.68
Maple Grove, MN
- Livability Score: 80
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $55,761.44
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $111,522.87
Olathe, KS
- Livability Score: 77
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $55,302.53
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $110,605.06
Shawnee, KS
- Livability Score: 86
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $54,533.68
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $109,067.37
Eagan, MN
- Livability Score: 83
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $54,394.26
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $108,788.53
Fishers, IN
- Livability Score: 82
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $54,183.63
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $108,367.26
Madison, WI
- Livability Score: 81
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $54,172.01
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $108,344.01
Noblesville, IN
- Livability Score: 85
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $52,636.96
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $105,273.93
Blaine, MN
- Livability Score: 68
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $51,716.93
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $103,433.87
Bloomington, MN
- Livability: 74
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $51,653.78
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $103,307.56
Waukesha, WI
- Livability Score: 82
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $51,442.93
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $102,885.87
Rapid City, SD
- Livability Score: 74
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $51,103.12
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $102,206.25
Brooklyn Park, MN
- Livability Score: 78
- Total Annual Cost of Living:$50,391.59
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $100,783.18
Ankeny, IA
- Livability Score: 92
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $49,266.16
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $98,532.31
Rochester, MN
- Livability Score: 91
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $49,261.87
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $98,523.74
Bismarck, ND
- Livability Score: 77
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $49,223.52
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $98,447.03
Minneapolis, MN
- Livability Score: 78
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $49,193.35
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $98,386.70
Schaumburg, IL
- Livability Score: 77
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $49,022.70
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $98,045.39
Eau Claire, WI
- Livability Score: 86
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $48,649.28
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $97,298.57
Lincoln, NE
- Livability Score: 83
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $48,248.70
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $96,497.40
Lawrence, KS
- Livability Score: 88
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $48,089.59
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $96,179.18
Bolingbrook, IL
- Livability Score: 74
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $47,943.22
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $95,886.43
Elgin, IL
- Livability Score: 81
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $47,834.63
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $95,669.27
Omaha, NE
- Livability Score: 82
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $47,242.62
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $94,485.25
Sioux Falls, SD
- Livability Score: 84
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $47,168.89
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $94,337.78
Chicago, IL
- Livability Score: 76
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $46,996.36
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $93,992.72
Aurora, IL
- Livability Score: 74
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $46,955.10
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $93,910.21
Columbia, MO
- Livability Score: 82
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $46,737.17
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $93,474.33
West Des Moines, IA
- Livability Score: 85
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $46,734.11
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $93,468.22
St. Charles, MO
- Livability Score: 77
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $46,334.51
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $92,669.02
Iowa City, IA
- Livability Score: 83
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $46,045.02
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $92,090.04
Bloomington, IN
- Livability Score: 81
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $45,993.25
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $91,866.49
Fargo, ND
- Livability Score: 84
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $45,254.85
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $90,509.70
Appleton, WI
- Livability Score: 84
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $44,629.20
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $89,258.41
St. Paul, MN
- Livability Score: 80
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $44,536.00
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $89,072.00
Bloomington, IL
- Livability Score: 75
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $44,201.10
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $88,402.20
Cicero, IL
- Livability Score: 79
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $43,298.07
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $86,596.15
Joliet, IL
- Livability Score: 75
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $42,924.51
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $85,849.01
Green Bay, WI
- Livability Score: 70
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $42,595.55
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $85,191.10
Kenosha, WI
- Livability Score: 82
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $42,431.87
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $84,863.74
Columbus, OH
- Livability Score: 79
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $41,823.85
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $83,647.69
Champaign, IL
- Livability Score: 81
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $41,495.59
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $82,991.19
Duluth, MN
- Livability Score: 77
- Total Annual Cost of Living: $41,469.56
- Salary Needed To Live Comfortably: $82,939.13
For this study, GOBankingRates found how much a household needs to make in order to live comfortably in major midwest cities. GOBankingRates first started by finding the 150 largest midwest cities by population as sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey. The total households, median household income and mean household income were also sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey. The average home value was sourced from Zillow Home Value Index and assuming a 10% downpayment and using the national 30-year fixed rate mortgage as sourced from the Federal Reserve Economic Data, the average mortgage cost can be calculated for each city. The cost of living indexes can be found for each city from Sperlings BestPlaces and using the national average expenditure costs for all residents, as sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, the average expenditure costs can be calculated for each city. Adding the expenditure costs to the mortgage gives an average total cost of living. Using the 50/30/20 rule that states that household needs should be less than 50% of household income, the average salary needed can be calculated by doubling the total cost of living. The cities were sorted to show the most to least expensive salary needed. All data was collected on and is up-to-date as of May 6th, 2024.
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