Benchmarks · Monthly spending · 38–41 · Chicago

Monthly spending for people aged 38–41 in Chicago

All non-transfer outflows in a typical month — housing, food, transport, subscriptions and everything else.

Modeled estimate · federal survey data

Median

$5,800

Upper quarter

$8,000

Top 10%

$11K

Half of people aged 38–41 in Chicago have a monthly spending above $5,800. Reaching the upper quarter takes about $8,000, and the top 10% starts at $11,200 — roughly 1.9× the median. The lower quarter sits below $4,200, and the bottom 10% is under $3,100.

The full distribution

Percentile	Monthly spending	What it means
Bottom 10%	$3,100	9 in 10 are above this
Lower quarter	$4,200	25th percentile
Median	$5,800	half above, half below
Upper quarter	$8,000	75th percentile
Top 10%	$11,200	only 1 in 10 is above this
Average (mean)	$6,380	pulled up by the top end — the median is the better "typical"

Where do you stand?

Connect your accounts and Keeping Up shows your exact percentile against people aged 38–41 in Chicago — plus savings rate, spending by category and net worth over time. Read-only bank access via Plaid; your numbers are never shown to anyone.

See where you stand →Free to start · no card required

Monthly spending by age in Chicago

Age	Lower quarter	Median monthly spending	Upper quarter	Top 10%
22–25 →	$2,400	$3,200	$4,400	$6,200
26–29 →	$3,000	$4,100	$5,600	$7,800
30–33 →	$3,500	$4,800	$6,600	$9,200
34–37 →	$3,900	$5,400	$7,400	$10K
38–41	$4,200	$5,800	$8,000	$11K
42–45 →	$4,400	$6,100	$8,400	$12K
46–50 →	$4,600	$6,400	$8,800	$12K
50 and over →	$4,800	$6,600	$9,200	$13K

Monthly spending at 38–41 by city

Metro	Lower quarter	Median monthly spending	Upper quarter	Top 10%
New York City →	$4,200	$5,800	$8,000	$11K
San Francisco →	$4,200	$5,800	$8,000	$11K
Los Angeles →	$4,200	$5,800	$8,000	$11K
Chicago	$4,200	$5,800	$8,000	$11K
Boston →	$4,200	$5,800	$8,000	$11K
Washington, DC →	$4,200	$5,800	$8,000	$11K
Seattle →	$4,200	$5,800	$8,000	$11K
Austin →	$4,200	$5,800	$8,000	$11K

More for people aged 38–41 in Chicago

Net worth →Income →Retirement savings →Investments →Savings rate →

Common questions

What is the median monthly spending for people aged 38–41 in Chicago?

The median monthly spending for people aged 38–41 in Chicago is $5,800. Half of this group is above that figure and half below.

What monthly spending puts you in the top 10% of people aged 38–41 in Chicago?

About $11,200. The 90th percentile is the level only one in ten people in this group exceeds — roughly 1.9× the median.

Where do these numbers come from?

They are modeled percentile distributions fitted to this cohort from federal survey microdata — the Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances, the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey, Census ACS and BLS wage data — and they blend toward anonymized, aggregated data from Keeping Up members as each cohort grows. Full methodology at keepingup.com/methodology.

How this is built. Percentiles are modeled for this cohort from federal survey microdata — Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances, BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey, Census American Community Survey and BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics — with metro cost-of-living and wage adjustments. As Keeping Up members in this cohort grow, the band blends toward anonymized, aggregated live data (minimum cohort sizes apply; no individual is ever identifiable). Amounts are in current dollars. Read the full methodology.

Last updated June 2026. Cohort: people aged 38–41 in Chicago. Model sample basis: 120.