Cost of living by state
Weighing a move? Compare any two states side by side — cost of living, taxes, and demographics — then pick your specialty to see what that salary is really worth once it's adjusted for local prices. Green means cheaper or better; red means pricier or worse.
Overall cost of living
Maryland is 5.0% more expensive overall than Illinois.
What Cardiology pay is really worth
Median pay → estimated after-tax take-home → adjusted for each state's cost of living.
Illinois
- Median pay
- $484,120
- After tax
- $305,922
$305,922worth here
Maryland
- Median pay
- $380,510
- After tax
- $244,865
$233,205worth here
Pay source: BLS OEWS May 2025 — “Cardiologists”.
Take-home is an estimate for a single filer taking the standard deduction (federal + FICA + state income tax, wages only) — not tax advice.
| Metric | Illinois | Maryland |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living (US avg = 100) | ||
| Overall cost of living | 100.0 | 105.0 |
| Housing (rent) | 93.9 | 121.1 |
| Utilities | 85.0 | 110.9 |
| Goods | 103.8 | 102.5 |
| Other services | 100.2 | 101.6 |
| Taxes | ||
| Top income tax rate | 4.95% | 5.75% |
| Sales tax (avg) | 8.89% | 6% |
| Property tax (effective) | 1.83% | 0.90% |
| About the state | ||
| Population | 12,692,653 | 6,170,738 |
| Median household income | $81,702 | $101,652 |
| Median age | 38.9 | 39.3 |
| Homeownership rate | 66.80% | 67.50% |
| Median home value | $250,500 | $397,700 |
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities (2024) · U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts · Tax Foundation. Figures are the latest published; cost-of-living is a price-level index, not tax-adjusted take-home pay.
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VitalPost shows sourced, public data for context only — it isn't financial or tax advice. Cost-of-living is a price-level index (US average = 100); taxes shown are statewide/averaged and don't capture local income or the specifics of your situation.