# Settling in Chicago



## Chris Edge (Dec 5, 2013)

I have been asked to relocate to the USA, i have recieved the following package, can someone tell me if you can live on that being 2 people with 1 child at home (20) 
Based in Chicago
Salary before tax $114 000 per annum 
$9600 car allowance per annum 
Full medical aid, 
they will pay all moving costs 
put you in a hotel till you can find accom. 

What is the tax rate on salaries in the USA


----------



## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

Tax rate: There is no set tax rate as a number of factor come into play. IRS.gov gives a lot of information.

Child: 21 is the cut off for children being under a parent visa. 

Housing: No problem to find.


----------



## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

Full medical cover does not usually mean no expenses for the employee.

Most plans have deductibles which the employee needs to pay,plus co-pays and the plans usually pay up to 90% of the costs, the rest down to the employee.

Also the employee pays part of the premiums.

Nothing to worry about but need to take this into consideration.


----------



## johnnybacaro (Jan 5, 2014)

Crawford said:


> Full medical cover does not usually mean no expenses for the employee.
> 
> Most plans have deductibles which the employee needs to pay,plus co-pays and the plans usually pay up to 90% of the costs, the rest down to the employee.
> 
> ...



Where in Chicago will your company be located? If you are looking to live downtown or on the Gold Coast on that salary, it would likely be pretty tight. You could easily find a rental apartment in the suburbs for a more reasonable price, but your commute would be much longer.

In terms of take-home pay, between federal, state and local taxes and health care contributions, assume you will take home about 55-60% of your salary. 

Also remember if you plan on living downtown, you will likely be paying 200-300 per month for parking


----------



## akmm (Jan 14, 2014)

We located to the suburbs from Hampshire, UK in 2012 and love it.
Personally I wouldn't want to bring up kids in the city of Chicago. That said, we love the city! It's a wonderful place to visit. You'd probably need to choose private schools which are expensive. See if you can get that covered in your package? Or look at the suburbs. Cheaper, better schools and safer.
Good luck!


----------



## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

Chicago's suburbs are cheaper than Chicago? I wouldn't say that. Winnetka and Hinsdale are not what most people would think of as cheap, to pick a couple examples.

Chicago is a very big place, and there are many suburbs. There are expensive and cheap (relatively) suburbs, and there are expensive and cheap parts of Chicago. Of course in a suburb you tend to be more car dependent, and those aren't free.

Same thing with schools. There are wonderful suburban schools -- and you pay for those in higher property taxes, by the way -- and there are rotten suburban schools. Chicago has some great schools, including some of the public schools. I think the #1 most competitive admissions high school in the state is one of Chicago's public high schools, last I checked. There are also some awful ones.

It's not a suburb-city split -- that's way, way too simplistic.


----------



## Squirrel14# (Apr 26, 2014)

*Relocating to Chicago*

You have enough room in your salary to find a suburb you like. Winnetka is not the only nice suburb. Health care may be expensive, but I don't think it will break your budget. Enjoy Chicago!


----------



## jaqjaqbird (May 3, 2014)

Being that I am from Chicago: I would settle: NW and North Suburbs. West Suburbs like Hinsdale, Naperville. Arlington Heights has the best public library. All the NE suburbs are awesome: Winnetka, Northfield, Deerfield, Bannockburn., Glenview, Skokie, Northbrook are also awesome too. Highland Park has great schools and Ravina is right there so your kids and you can frequent there all summer long. All great areas. Chicago neighborhoods have some of the best areas when it comes to raising your kids. They will have so much culture with world class museums, and conert halls, etc.. They can go for free on certain days (like Tues) into the Art Institute, Planterium, Natural Science Museum, etc.. If you live in the suburbs, try to live next to the Metra or the El, that way it will be easy access to the city. Evanston is my fave suburb but don't know if the schools are that good there, but what a great area! Northwestern is there and you can take classes and your kids can appreciate the culture too. Downtown Chicago like Printers Row is nice too. If you plan on living there for few years, don't buy, the taxes there is crazy. Property and sales taxes are some of the highest rate in the US. Watch out for speed and signal cameras, always stop on a red right turn lane before you make that right on red or you will fined with a $200 fee in the mail The city does everything they can to make any revenue so watch your back in Chicago. if you need any advice or help, please PM me.


----------

