--- title: "Boston vs Chicago: Class A office comparison" description: "Side-by-side Class A office comparison for Boston and Chicago — rent, vacancy, talent, tax, lease norms, transit, and top submarkets." canonical: https://classa.info/compare/boston-vs-chicago pageType: comparison lastUpdated: 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z license: "CC BY 4.0 with attribution to Class A Atlas (https://classa.info)." --- > Boston ($78/sqft, 19.5% vacancy) and Chicago ($52/sqft, 24.5% vacancy) compete on different axes: Boston on talent depth and Chicago on rent and tax. ## TL;DR - Class A rent: Boston $78/sqft vs Chicago $52/sqft. - Vacancy: Boston 19.5% vs Chicago 24.5%. - Talent index: Boston 95 vs Chicago 88. - Corporate tax: Boston 28% vs Chicago 28.5%. - Premium flex/seat/month: Boston $1,140 vs Chicago $920. # Boston vs Chicago: Class A office comparison **Boston ($78/sqft, 19.5% vacancy) and Chicago ($52/sqft, 24.5% vacancy) compete on different axes: Boston on talent depth and Chicago on rent and tax.** ## TL;DR - [Class A](/glossary/class-a) rent: Boston $78/sqft vs Chicago $52/sqft. - Vacancy: Boston 19.5% vs Chicago 24.5%. - Talent index: Boston 95 vs Chicago 88. - Corporate tax: Boston 28% vs Chicago 28.5%. - [Premium flex](/topics/lease-vs-flex)/seat/month: Boston $1,140 vs Chicago $920. ## Market data side-by-side | Metric | Boston | Chicago| | Region | Americas | Americas| | Country | United States | United States| | Class A rent (USD/sqft/yr) | $78 | $52| | Class A rent (local) | 78 USD | 52 USD| | Vacancy | 19.5% | 24.5%| | Trend | flat | flat| | Prime yield | 6.2% | 7%| | Premium flex / seat / month (USD) | $1,140 | $920| | Submarkets covered | 6 | 6| | Corporate tax | 28% | 28.5%| ## Lease norms | Metric | Boston | Chicago| | Typical term | 10 yrs | 10 yrs| | Typical rent-free | 18 mos | 22 mos| | Lease norms | Modified-gross with op-ex escalations. Rent-free 18-24 months on 10-year term standard. Lab leases carry distinct economics — base rent plus operating expenses plus utilities pass-through. | Modified-gross with op-ex escalations over a base year. Rent-free 18-30 months and TI $120-$200/sqft on a 10-year term are current market.| | Tax note | Combined federal + Massachusetts corporate tax 28%. | Combined federal + Illinois corporate tax effectively 28.5%. Cook County personal property lease transaction tax applies.| ## Talent | Metric | Boston | Chicago| | Talent index (0–100) | 95 | 88| | Talent note | Deepest STEM and life-sciences talent pool in the US — anchored by MIT, Harvard, BU. Average all-in compensation indexes 95. | Deep professional-services, fintech, and trading talent pool. Average all-in compensation indexes 88 vs. New York.| ## Transit & commute **Boston:** MBTA subway, commuter rail, and Logan Airport access. Silver Line connects the Seaport to South Station. **Chicago:** CTA L lines and Metra commuter rail. Union Station and Ogilvie anchor commuter rail; Loop Elevated lines circle the historic CBD. ## Top submarkets — Boston - [**Cambridge & Kendall Square**](/cities/boston/cambridge-kendall) — [trophy tier](/topics/trophy-asset-selection) · $110/sqft/yr - [**Kendall Square**](/cities/boston/kendall-square) — trophy tier · $105/sqft/yr - [**Seaport**](/cities/boston/seaport) — trophy tier · $85/sqft/yr ## Top submarkets — Chicago - [**West Loop**](/cities/chicago/west-loop) — trophy tier · $70/sqft/yr - [**Fulton Market**](/cities/chicago/fulton-market) — prime tier · $65/sqft/yr - [**The Loop**](/cities/chicago/the-loop) — prime tier · $50/sqft/yr ## Decision criteria ### Pick by cost Chicago is the cheaper Class A market on a USD basis. ### Pick by talent depth Boston has the deeper talent index (95/100 vs 88/100). ### Pick by tax Boston has the lower headline corporate tax (28% vs 28.5%). Local incentives can change the effective rate materially. ### Pick by lease optionality Boston typical term is 10 years with 18 months free; Chicago runs 10 years with 22 months free. ### Pick by transit Boston: MBTA subway, commuter rail, and Logan Airport access. Silver Line connects the Seaport to South Station. Chicago: CTA L lines and Metra commuter rail. Union Station and Ogilvie anchor commuter rail; Loop Elevated lines circle the historic CBD. ## Run a 4-city comparison Score Boston, Chicago and up to two more markets side-by-side on Class A rent, vacancy, talent, corporate tax, and premium flex pricing — all in USD. [**Run a 4-city comparison →**](/tools/city-comparator) ## Frequently asked questions ****Is Class A office cheaper in Boston or Chicago?**** : Chicago is cheaper on a USD basis: $52/sqft vs $78/sqft. ****Which has better talent depth, Boston or Chicago?**** : Boston indexes higher on talent depth (95 vs 88). ****Which has more sublease availability, Boston or Chicago?**** : Chicago carries higher vacancy (24.5% vs 19.5%) and therefore typically more [sublease](/topics/sublease-strategy)">sublease overhang. ****What lease term should I expect in Boston vs Chicago?**** : Boston typical term is 10 years with 18 months rent-free; Chicago typical term is 10 years with 22 months rent-free. ****How does transit and commuter access compare?**** : Boston: MBTA subway, commuter rail, and Logan Airport access. Silver Line connects the Seaport to South Station. Chicago: CTA L lines and Metra commuter rail. Union Station and Ogilvie anchor commuter rail; Loop Elevated lines circle the historic CBD. ## Editorial provenance Reviewed by [**Miriam Hollander**](/about/authors/miriam-hollander) — Lead market analyst. Last updated 2026-04-15. See our [methodology](/about/methodology) and [editorial standards](/about/editorial-standards). ### Primary sources for this page - [CBRE Marketview reports](https://www.cbre.com/insights) — CBRE - [JLL Office Insight](https://www.jll.com/en/trends-and-insights) — JLL - [Cushman & Wakefield Marketbeat](https://www.cushmanwakefield.com/en/insights) — Cushman & Wakefield - [Savills World Research](https://www.savills.com/research_articles/) — Savills - [Colliers Global Office Outlook](https://www.colliers.com/en/research) — Colliers [Full sources index](/about/sources) · [Submit a correction](/about/corrections) --- Citation: Source: Class A Atlas (https://classa.info/compare/boston-vs-chicago), updated 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z.