Chicago in the top 20 for costliest commutes for drivers nationwide
A study found Chicago commuters lose over $8,000 in wages a year from their drive to work.
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times file
Chicago commuters lose over $8,000 in wages each year thanks to time spent in traffic, according to a new study analyzing expensive commutes nationwide.
Of the 170 U.S. cities studied, Chicago ranks 19th for the most expensive commute for drivers and ninth for the longest round-trip commute. The study, from the business website Chamber of Commerce, found that the nationwide average for wage loss from commuting is over $5,700 each year.
The study also determined that the average round-trip commute in Chicago is one hour and four minutes, the daily commuting cost is $32 and the median full-time worker salary in the city is $62,010. The total yearly commuting cost is $8,319.68 for Chicagoans driving to and from work.
Chamber of Commerce also looked at how female commuters, who already tend to make less than their male counterparts, lose even more in wages while driving to and from the office.
In Chicago, women lose over $9,500 a year from their commute and the nationwide average is over $6,300, according to the study. Chicago ranked 15th for the most expensive commute for women.
To calculate the money lost, the study compared the average commute time in each city with the median income for full-time, year-round workers.
San Francisco topped the list with a total wage loss of $12,650.66 for commuters each year.
A study published earlier this year found that traffic congestion in Chicago was the worst nationwide in 2022 and drivers in the city lost more hours waiting in traffic last year than counterparts in any other city in the U.S.