Relocation: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN to Fort Smith, AR-OK
Data updated · Sources: HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology
Income tax, HUD Fair Market Rents and EPI living costs for a move from Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN to Fort Smith, AR-OK.
Interactive Purchasing Power Equivalency Workbench
Adjust your current salary at origin to dynamically compute the statutory tax burden, housing costs, and discretionary cash in both markets.
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
Fort Smith, AR-OK
Itemized Cost of Living Expenditure Arbitrage
Category-by-category breakdown of monthly baseline consumption between origin and destination.
| Expenditure Category | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin (Monthly) | Fort Smith (Monthly) | Monthly Delta ($) | Difference (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing (1BR Fair Market Rent) | $1,780 | $748 | -$1,032 | -58.0% |
| Food & Groceries | $385 | $319 | -$66 | -17.1% |
| Transportation | $947 | $1,080 | +$133 | +14.0% |
| Healthcare | $416 | $489 | +$73 | +17.5% |
| Other Necessities | $572 | $313 | -$259 | -45.3% |
| Total Taxes (Federal, State, Local, FICA) | $2,135 | $2,042 | -$93 | -4.4% |
HUD Fair Market Rent Differential
EPI Living Wage Benchmark Comparison
Top Local Occupations Wage Parity
BLS median wage comparisons across benchmark roles between both metropolitan labor markets.
| Occupation Title | Industry Sector | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin Median | Fort Smith Median | Nominal Wage Delta | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $109,390 | $70,330 | -$39,060 (-35.7%) | View Dossier |
| Registered Nurse (RN)Healthcare | Healthcare | $100,490 | $79,870 | -$20,620 (-20.5%) | View Dossier |
| Financial ManagerFinance | Finance | $168,810 | $104,990 | -$63,820 (-37.8%) | View Dossier |
| Accountant & AuditorFinance | Finance | $82,360 | $62,990 | -$19,370 (-23.5%) | View Dossier |
| Software EngineerTechnology | Technology | $134,380 | $114,140 | -$20,240 (-15.1%) | View Dossier |
| Management AnalystBusiness Operations | Business Operations | $105,090 | $65,170 | -$39,920 (-38.0%) | View Dossier |
| Sales ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $158,690 | $99,110 | -$59,580 (-37.5%) | View Dossier |
| Computer and Information Systems ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $173,760 | $114,760 | -$59,000 (-34.0%) | View Dossier |
| Quality Control InspectorIndustrial Manufacturing | Industrial Manufacturing | $48,230 | $41,440 | -$6,790 (-14.1%) | View Dossier |
| Project Management SpecialistBusiness Operations | Business Operations | $105,320 | $74,990 | -$30,330 (-28.8%) | View Dossier |
| ElectricianSkilled Trades | Skilled Trades | $102,350 | $52,500 | -$49,850 (-48.7%) | View Dossier |
| Marketing ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $165,340 | $93,990 | -$71,350 (-43.2%) | View Dossier |
Major US Inter-Metro Relocation Corridors
Empirical cost differentials and statutory tax savings across high-volume migration routes.
On $100k: $8,301 less tax and $14,388 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $6,211 less tax and $17,676 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $4,805 less tax and $2,928 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $1,729 less tax and $19,884 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $4,113 less tax and $10,908 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $3,761 more tax and $4,188 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $1,299 less tax and $11,592 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $8,301 less tax and $7,296 less 1BR rent a year
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN to Fort Smith, AR-OK Relocation FAQs
About $73,800. That scales $100,000 by the ratio of the metros' cost-of-living indexes (125.8 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, 92.9 in Fort Smith, AR-OK, from EPI family budgets); taxes are compared separately below.
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN to Fort Smith, AR-OK: State Paychecks, Rents & Reciprocal Corridor
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN to Fort Smith, AR-OK: 2026 federal, state & local income tax, HUD Fair Market Rents & EPI living costs compared on the same. Official 2026 economic data for Relocation: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN to Fort Smith, AR-OK compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS surveys, HUD Fair Market Rents, and statutory tax codes.
Quick answers
About $73,800. That scales $100,000 by the ratio of the metros' cost-of-living indexes (125.8 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, 92.9 in Fort Smith, AR-OK, from EPI family budgets); taxes are compared separately below.
EPI's family budgets for a single adult put overall living costs 26.2% lower in Fort Smith, AR-OK than in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. The budgets cover housing, food, transportation, health care and other necessities.