Population

Chicago

2,707,648

New York

8,516,202

Median Income

Chicago

$75,134

New York

$79,713

Home Value

Chicago

$315,200

New York

$751,700

Rent

Chicago

$1,380

New York

$1,779

Crime Rate

Chicago

5.40

New York

6.71

Cost of Living

Chicago

131.3

New York

175.7

Avg Temp

Chicago

51°F

New York

53°F

Unemployment

Chicago

7.9%

New York

7.7%

Loading map…

How Similar Are Chicago & New York?

New York is Chicago's #4 most similar city

4/10

4 of 10 key metrics match within 10%

Population

👥

Chicago

2,707,648

vs

New York

8,516,202

Different · 68% difference

New York (8,516,202) is about 3.1x larger than Chicago (2,707,648).

Violent Crime

Chicago

5.40

vs

New York

6.71

Different · 20% difference
🚨

New York has a 20% higher violent crime than Chicago.

Property Crime

🔒

Chicago

34.72

vs

New York

23.68

Different · 32% difference

Chicago has a 32% higher property crime than New York.

Political Leaning

Chicago

28.4%

vs

New York

17.6%

Different · 38% difference
🗳️

Both cities lean Democratic, but Chicago has a stronger Democratic lean (38% difference).

Unemployment

💼

Chicago

7.9%

vs

New York

7.7%

Match · 3% difference

Both cities have similar unemployment — just a 3% difference.

Median Income

Chicago

$75,134

vs

New York

$79,713

Match · 6% difference
💰

Both cities have similar median income — just a 6% difference.

Home Values

🏠

Chicago

$315,200

vs

New York

$751,700

Different · 58% difference

New York's home values is significantly higher than Chicago's — 58% difference.

Education

Chicago

30.6%

vs

New York

29.3%

Match · 4% difference
🎓

Both cities have similar education — just a 4% difference.

Demographics

🌍

Chicago

39.0%

vs

New York

35.9%

Match · 8% difference

Both cities have similar demographics — just a 8% difference.

Cost of Living

Chicago

131.3

vs

New York

175.7

Different · 25% difference
💵

New York has a 25% higher cost of living than Chicago.

4 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Chicago and New York share several key characteristics.

At a Glance

0

Chicago

vsof 8

0

New York

Chicago leads in 6 of 8 categories

Cost of Living & Affordability — Chicago leads

Source: City Stats Index / HUD

Chicago has a fair market rent (1br) of $1,581 vs $2,655 in New York (40% lower). Chicago scores 164.7 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 270.1 in New York. Chicago has a fair market rent (2br) of $1,781 vs $2,910 in New York (39% lower).

Overall Cost Index

Chicago131.3
New York175.7

Housing Index

Chicago164.7
New York270.1

Food Index

Chicago107.4
New York110.9

Transportation Index

Chicago120.0
New York142.0

Healthcare Index

Chicago105.9
New York108.7

Utilities Index

Chicago117.4
New York140.6

Living Wage (1 Adult)

Chicago$57,777
New York$77,304

Living Wage (Family of 4)

Chicago$136,563
New York$182,720

Fair Market Rent (1BR)

Chicago$1,581
New York$2,655

Fair Market Rent (2BR)

Chicago$1,781
New York$2,910

Housing Market — Chicago leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Chicago has a single-family homes of 29.2% compared to 16.3% in New York. New York has a median home value of $751,700 vs $315,200 in Chicago (58% higher). Chicago has a owner-occupied of 45.5% compared to 32.8% in New York.

Median Home Value

Chicago$315,200
New York$751,700

Median Rent

Chicago$1,380
New York$1,779

Median Property Tax

Chicago$4,814
New York$6,358

Owner-Occupied

Chicago45.5%
New York32.8%

Vacancy Rate

Chicago9.6%
New York9.2%

Single-Family Homes

Chicago29.2%
New York16.3%

Jobs & Economy — Chicago leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

New York: 4,412,075 vs Chicago: 1,502,336 for labor force. Chicago has a work from home of 18.3% compared to 15.0% in New York. Chicago: 27 min vs New York: 35 min for mean commute.

Median Household Income

Chicago$75,134
New York$79,713

Per Capita Income

Chicago$48,148
New York$50,776

Poverty Rate

Chicago16.8%
New York17.4%

Unemployment Rate

Chicago7.9%
New York7.7%

Labor Force

Chicago1,502,336
New York4,412,075

Mean Commute

Chicago27 min
New York35 min

Work from Home

Chicago18.3%
New York15.0%

Private Sector

Chicago89.5%
New York87.0%

Government Sector

Chicago42.8%
New York40.9%

Crime & Safety — New York leads

Source: FBI UCR

New York has a murder rate (per 1k) of 0.04 compared to 0.17 in Chicago. New York has a burglary rate (per 1k) of 1.55 compared to 2.95 in Chicago. New York has a violent crime clearance of 63.8% compared to 9.5% in Chicago.

Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)

Chicago5.40
New York6.71

Property Crime Rate (per 1K)

Chicago34.72
New York23.68

Murder Rate (per 1K)

Chicago0.17
New York0.04

Robbery Rate (per 1K)

Chicago3.35
New York1.87

Assault Rate (per 1K)

Chicago1.28
New York4.56

Burglary Rate (per 1K)

Chicago2.95
New York1.55

Larceny Rate (per 1K)

Chicago23.19
New York20.15

Violent Crime Clearance

Chicago9.5%
New York63.8%

Property Crime Clearance

Chicago5.2%
New York27.1%

Weather & Climate — New York leads

Source: NOAA / Open-Meteo

Chicago: 36.2" vs New York: 40.8" for annual rainfall. New York gets 14 more sunny days per year than Chicago. New York averages 61°F, about 4°F cooler than Chicago.

Avg Annual Temperature

Chicago51°F
New York53°F

Avg Annual High

Chicago57°F
New York61°F

Avg Annual Low

Chicago44°F
New York46°F

Sunny Days per Year

Chicago185
New York199

Annual Rainfall

Chicago36.2"
New York40.8"

Annual Snowfall

Chicago10.5"
New York10.2"

Avg Humidity

Chicago72.2%
New York70.9%

Schools & Education — Chicago leads

Source: NCES / U.S. Census Bureau

Chicago has a bachelor's degree or higher of 30.6% compared to 29.3% in New York.

Public Schools

Chicago0
New York0

Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

ChicagoN/A
New YorkN/A

Colleges & Universities

Chicago0
New York0

Bachelor's Degree or Higher

Chicago30.6%
New York29.3%

High School Diploma or Higher

Chicago45.7%
New York45.8%

Demographics & Community

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

New York has a population of 8,516,202, about 3.1x the size of Chicago (2,707,648). Chicago skews younger with a median age of 35.7 vs 38.0.

Population

Chicago2,707,648
New York8,516,202

Median Age

Chicago36
New York38

Avg Household Size

Chicago2.3
New York2.5

Married Population

Chicago31.6%
New York35.3%

Foreign Born

Chicago20.7%
New York36.5%

White

Chicago39.0%
New York35.9%

Black

Chicago28.4%
New York22.7%

Hispanic

Chicago29.6%
New York28.4%

Asian

Chicago7.1%
New York14.6%

Chicago

New York

Healthcare — Chicago leads

Source: CMS Hospital Compare

Chicago: 3.0 vs New York: 1.8 for avg cms rating (out of 5). Chicago: 5 vs New York: 3 for with emergency services.

Nearby Hospitals

Chicago5
New York5

Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)

Chicago3.0
New York1.8

With Emergency Services

Chicago5
New York3

Transportation & Commute — Chicago leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Chicago has a drive alone of 46.0% compared to 21.9% in New York. New York has a public transit of 45.5% compared to 19.3% in Chicago. Chicago has a work from home of 18.3% compared to 15.0% in New York.

Mean Commute Time

Chicago27 min
New York35 min

Drive Alone

Chicago46.0%
New York21.9%

Public Transit

Chicago19.3%
New York45.5%

Bicycle

Chicago1.4%
New York1.5%

Work from Home

Chicago18.3%
New York15.0%

Airports

Chicago0
New York0

Cities Similar to Chicago, IL

Compare Chicago against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.

🧬

City Comparison

8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.

PopulationIncomeHome ValueSafetyEducationMedian AgeClimateCost of Living

Explore These Cities

Compare Different Cities