Two metros. The same yardstick.
Seattle vs. Chicago: income and estimated net worth.
Seattle has the higher single-adult median income at ages 25–34: $72,416 versus $57,308. The difference is $15,108 before any adjustment for living costs.
At those ages, estimated median net worth is $37,004 in Seattle and $19,843 in Chicago. These are modeled local wealth distributions, not a forecast of what happens when someone moves.
Age 30 falls in the 25–34 band; these are not exact-age city estimates. This is a selected comparison, not a claim about measured migration flows.
Income across life stages.
Estimated wealth across life stages.
| Age band | Seattle | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| 18–24 | Not enough local data | Not enough local data |
| 25–34 | $37,004 | $19,843 |
| 35–44 | $39,272 | $21,306 |
| 45–54 | $104,456 | $83,348 |
| 55–64 | $127,252 | $92,954 |
| 65–74 | $211,690 | $143,546 |
| 75+ | $269,520 | $208,438 |
A higher income or wealth median does not establish a better place to live. These tables do not adjust for taxes, rent, household needs or local prices, and wealth is a model reweighted by income.