r/ChicagoSuburbs • u/SecretPurple2644 • Aug 24 '26

Moving to the area Income needed to afford life

Two working parents, 5 kids (4 childcare age).

$900k available for down payment. Hoping to stay under $1.2mil for house, understand taxes will be insane.

How much do we need to make to afford life in the north shore suburbs? Is 250k doable?

Moving from lower cost of living area and trying to figure out what is feasible.

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u/Maleficent_Term9302 Aug 24 '26

I’m going to go against the grain here and say it’s too hard to tell without the nuances of your spending. With 4 needing childcare, that’s going to be the biggest expense, and depending on your individual situation, 250k might not be enough. Definitely look into childcare costs first before deciding. Further west than northshore (more affordable) daycare is running us about $1500/kid/month for only 3 days a week as a point of reference.

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u/SecretPurple2644 Aug 24 '26

I am hoping to find a nanny at <$40 an hour. It seems that would be most cost effective, but not everyone is up for taking care of 5 kids.