Working in Chicago, Living in Indiana: Is It Worth It?

I'm going to answer this the way I answer everything — with actual numbers, not cheerleading. For most families, yes, it is absolutely worth it. But the honest answer depends on how often you're commuting, what you earn, and what you're giving up on the Illinois side. Let me show you the math.

This question comes up in almost every conversation I have with Chicago-area buyers. People have done the back-of-the-napkin math on taxes and home prices. What they usually haven't accounted for is the full commute cost — gas, tolls, parking, South Shore passes — and how that stacks up against the savings. So let's do it properly.

The Full Annual Financial Comparison

This example uses a family earning $120,000 per year, buying a $450,000 home, and commuting to Chicago three days a week. I'll compare staying in Orland Park, IL versus moving to Crown Point, IN.

That's over $7,000 a year in net savings even after accounting for the longer commute costs. And that's before factoring in the roughly $1,000 more square feet of home you're getting for the same purchase price.

The Commute Cost Breakdown

Let's be specific about what commuting from Crown Point to Chicago actually costs so there are no surprises. For a 3-day-per-week commuter driving a typical mid-size vehicle:

Gas: ~$120–140/month. Crown Point to the Loop is about 50 miles each way, 100 miles round trip. At 30 mpg and $3.40/gallon, that's about $11 per trip, $33/week, roughly $132/month on a 3-day schedule.

Tolls: I-90/94 tolls add $6–8 per round trip if you're driving into the city. On a 3-day schedule that's $18–24/week, about $80/month. Illinois I-Pass helps, but it doesn't eliminate the cost.

South Shore Line alternative: A monthly pass from Indiana stations runs about $150–$180. You'd park at a station (free or low-cost), avoid city parking entirely, and get 45–60 minutes each way to work or unwind. Many Crown Point commuters consider this the better option for regular Chicago trips.

Who This Works Best For

The math is most favorable for hybrid workers — 2 to 4 days in the office per week. The tax and housing savings are consistent regardless of commute frequency, while the commute cost scales with how often you go in. At 2 days per week, the annual net savings jump above $8,500. At 5 days per week, the commute cost nearly cancels out the income tax savings, though the property tax savings still make Indiana the better financial choice for most families.

Remote workers are the easiest case — nearly all of the savings with none of the commute cost. This is a significant reason why Crown Point, St. John, and Schererville have seen strong buyer demand from Chicago-area remote workers over the past few years.

"I ran the numbers six different ways before we made the move. Every way I ran them, Indiana won. I just needed someone to confirm I wasn't missing something."

— Homes219 client, finance professional, now living in Crown Point

The Things the Numbers Don't Capture

Here's what I also tell people honestly: the financial case for Indiana is strong, but it's not the whole picture. You're adding 30–60 minutes to your commute days. That time has value — it's time away from your family or your life outside work. For some people that's a deal-breaker, and I respect that.

What I also tell them: most of the clients I work with who made the move tell me the quality of life improvement at home — the bigger house, the bigger yard, the quieter neighborhoods, the lower stress about money — more than makes up for it. But you know your situation better than I do.