--- title: "Chicago vs Los Angeles: Class A office comparison" description: "Side-by-side Class A office comparison for Chicago and Los Angeles — rent, vacancy, talent, tax, lease norms, transit, and top submarkets." canonical: https://classa.info/compare/chicago-vs-los-angeles pageType: comparison lastUpdated: 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z license: "CC BY 4.0 with attribution to Class A Atlas (https://classa.info)." --- > Chicago ($52/sqft, 24.5% vacancy) and Los Angeles ($65/sqft, 22.5% vacancy) compete on different axes: Chicago on rent and tax and Los Angeles on talent depth. ## TL;DR - Class A rent: Chicago $52/sqft vs Los Angeles $65/sqft. - Vacancy: Chicago 24.5% vs Los Angeles 22.5%. - Talent index: Chicago 88 vs Los Angeles 92. - Corporate tax: Chicago 28.5% vs Los Angeles 27%. - Premium flex/seat/month: Chicago $920 vs Los Angeles $1,080. # Chicago vs Los Angeles: Class A office comparison **Chicago ($52/sqft, 24.5% vacancy) and Los Angeles ($65/sqft, 22.5% vacancy) compete on different axes: Chicago on rent and tax and Los Angeles on talent depth.** ## TL;DR - [Class A](/glossary/class-a) rent: Chicago $52/sqft vs Los Angeles $65/sqft. - Vacancy: Chicago 24.5% vs Los Angeles 22.5%. - Talent index: Chicago 88 vs Los Angeles 92. - Corporate tax: Chicago 28.5% vs Los Angeles 27%. - [Premium flex](/topics/lease-vs-flex)/seat/month: Chicago $920 vs Los Angeles $1,080. ## Market data side-by-side | Metric | Chicago | Los Angeles| | Region | Americas | Americas| | Country | United States | United States| | Class A rent (USD/sqft/yr) | $52 | $65| | Class A rent (local) | 52 USD | 65 USD| | Vacancy | 24.5% | 22.5%| | Trend | flat | flat| | Prime yield | 7% | 5.8%| | Premium flex / seat / month (USD) | $920 | $1,080| | Submarkets covered | 6 | 6| | Corporate tax | 28.5% | 27%| ## Lease norms | Metric | Chicago | Los Angeles| | Typical term | 10 yrs | 7 yrs| | Typical rent-free | 22 mos | 14 mos| | Lease norms | 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. | Modified-gross with op-ex escalations. Rent-free 12-20 months on a 10-year term is standard. TI of $130-$200/sqft achievable. California Civil Code 1938 disclosure (CASp) is mandatory.| | Tax note | Combined federal + Illinois corporate tax effectively 28.5%. Cook County personal property lease transaction tax applies. | Combined federal + California corporate tax effectively 27%. LA City business license tax applies.| ## Talent | Metric | Chicago | Los Angeles| | Talent index (0–100) | 88 | 92| | Talent note | Deep professional-services, fintech, and trading talent pool. Average all-in compensation indexes 88 vs. New York. | Deepest entertainment, streaming, gaming, and aerospace talent pool in the world. Average all-in compensation indexes 92 vs. New York.| ## Transit & commute **Chicago:** CTA L lines and Metra commuter rail. Union Station and Ogilvie anchor commuter rail; Loop Elevated lines circle the historic CBD. **Los Angeles:** Metro Rail [expansion](/topics/cross-border-expansion) (Purple Line extension, K Line) is reshaping commute economics — but LA remains predominantly car-based. ## Top submarkets — Chicago - [**West Loop**](/cities/chicago/west-loop) — [trophy tier](/topics/trophy-asset-selection) · $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 ## Top submarkets — Los Angeles - [**Beverly Hills & West Hollywood**](/cities/los-angeles/beverly-hills) — trophy tier · $130/sqft/yr - [**Century City**](/cities/los-angeles/century-city) — trophy tier · $105/sqft/yr - [**Santa Monica**](/cities/los-angeles/santa-monica) — prime tier · $88/sqft/yr ## Decision criteria ### Pick by cost Chicago is the cheaper Class A market on a USD basis. ### Pick by talent depth Los Angeles has the deeper talent index (92/100 vs 88/100). ### Pick by tax Los Angeles has the lower headline corporate tax (27% vs 28.5%). Local incentives can change the effective rate materially. ### Pick by lease optionality Chicago typical term is 10 years with 22 months free; Los Angeles runs 7 years with 14 months free. ### Pick by transit Chicago: CTA L lines and Metra commuter rail. Union Station and Ogilvie anchor commuter rail; Loop Elevated lines circle the historic CBD. Los Angeles: Metro Rail expansion (Purple Line extension, K Line) is reshaping commute economics — but LA remains predominantly car-based. ## Run a 4-city comparison Score Chicago, Los Angeles 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 Chicago or Los Angeles?**** : Chicago is cheaper on a USD basis: $52/sqft vs $65/sqft. ****Which has better talent depth, Chicago or Los Angeles?**** : Los Angeles indexes higher on talent depth (92 vs 88). ****Which has more sublease availability, Chicago or Los Angeles?**** : Chicago carries higher vacancy (24.5% vs 22.5%) and therefore typically more [sublease](/topics/sublease-strategy)">sublease overhang. ****What lease term should I expect in Chicago vs Los Angeles?**** : Chicago typical term is 10 years with 22 months rent-free; Los Angeles typical term is 7 years with 14 months rent-free. ****How does transit and commuter access compare?**** : Chicago: CTA L lines and Metra commuter rail. Union Station and Ogilvie anchor commuter rail; Loop Elevated lines circle the historic CBD. Los Angeles: Metro Rail expansion (Purple Line extension, K Line) is reshaping commute economics — but LA remains predominantly car-based. ## 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/chicago-vs-los-angeles), updated 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z.