Population
Chicago
2,707,648
Philadelphia
1,582,432
Median Income
Chicago
$75,134
Philadelphia
$60,698
Home Value
Chicago
$315,200
Philadelphia
$232,400
Rent
Chicago
$1,380
Philadelphia
$1,323
Crime Rate
Chicago
5.40
Philadelphia
9.10
Cost of Living
Chicago
131.3
Philadelphia
111.1
Avg Temp
Chicago
51°F
Philadelphia
55°F
Unemployment
Chicago
7.9%
Philadelphia
8.4%
How Similar Are Chicago & Philadelphia?
Philadelphia is Chicago's #6 most similar city
2 of 10 key metrics match within 10%
Population
Chicago
2,707,648
Philadelphia
1,582,432
Chicago has a 42% larger population than Philadelphia.
Violent Crime
Chicago
5.40
Philadelphia
9.10
Philadelphia has a 41% higher violent crime than Chicago.
Property Crime
Chicago
34.72
Philadelphia
45.48
Philadelphia has a 24% higher property crime than Chicago.
Political Leaning
Chicago
28.4%
Philadelphia
20.0%
Both cities lean Democratic, but Chicago has a stronger Democratic lean (30% difference).
Unemployment
Chicago
7.9%
Philadelphia
8.4%
Both cities have similar unemployment — just a 6% difference.
Median Income
Chicago
$75,134
Philadelphia
$60,698
Chicago has a 19% higher median income than Philadelphia.
Home Values
Chicago
$315,200
Philadelphia
$232,400
Chicago has a 26% higher home values than Philadelphia.
Education
Chicago
30.6%
Philadelphia
23.8%
Chicago has a 22% higher education than Philadelphia.
Demographics
Chicago
39.0%
Philadelphia
36.1%
Both cities have similar demographics — just a 7% difference.
Cost of Living
Chicago
131.3
Philadelphia
111.1
Chicago has a 15% higher cost of living than Philadelphia.
2 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Chicago and Philadelphia differ in most key areas.
At a Glance
0
Chicago
0
Philadelphia
Philadelphia leads in 4 of 8 categories
Cost of Living & Affordability — Philadelphia leads
Source: City Stats Index / HUDPhiladelphia scores 132.0 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 164.7 in Chicago. Philadelphia scores 111.1 on the overall cost index (100 = national avg) vs 131.3 in Chicago. Philadelphia has a living wage (1 adult) of $48,904 vs $57,777 in Chicago (18% lower).
Overall Cost Index
Housing Index
Food Index
Transportation Index
Healthcare Index
Utilities Index
Living Wage (1 Adult)
Living Wage (Family of 4)
Fair Market Rent (1BR)
Fair Market Rent (2BR)
Housing Market — Philadelphia leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSPhiladelphia has a median property tax of $1,952 vs $4,814 in Chicago (147% lower). Philadelphia has a single-family homes of 64.8% compared to 29.2% in Chicago. Chicago has a median home value of $315,200 vs $232,400 in Philadelphia (36% higher).
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Property Tax
Owner-Occupied
Vacancy Rate
Single-Family Homes
Jobs & Economy — Chicago leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSChicago: 1,502,336 vs Philadelphia: 810,038 for labor force. Chicago has a per capita income of $48,148 vs $37,669 in Philadelphia (28% higher). Chicago has a median household income of $75,134 vs $60,698 in Philadelphia (24% higher).
Median Household Income
Per Capita Income
Poverty Rate
Unemployment Rate
Labor Force
Mean Commute
Work from Home
Private Sector
Government Sector
Crime & Safety — Chicago leads
Source: FBI UCRChicago has a assault rate (per 1k) of 1.28 compared to 5.72 in Philadelphia. Philadelphia has a violent crime clearance of 40.1% compared to 9.5% in Chicago. Philadelphia has a property crime clearance of 9.0% compared to 5.2% in Chicago.
Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)
Property Crime Rate (per 1K)
Murder Rate (per 1K)
Robbery Rate (per 1K)
Assault Rate (per 1K)
Burglary Rate (per 1K)
Larceny Rate (per 1K)
Violent Crime Clearance
Property Crime Clearance
Weather & Climate — Philadelphia leads
Source: NOAA / Open-MeteoPhiladelphia: 8.4" vs Chicago: 10.5" for annual snowfall. Chicago: 36.2" vs Philadelphia: 41.1" for annual rainfall. Philadelphia averages 64°F, about 7°F cooler than Chicago.
Avg Annual Temperature
Avg Annual High
Avg Annual Low
Sunny Days per Year
Annual Rainfall
Annual Snowfall
Avg Humidity
Schools & Education — Chicago leads
Source: NCES / U.S. Census BureauChicago has a bachelor's degree or higher of 30.6% compared to 23.8% in Philadelphia. Chicago has a high school diploma or higher of 45.7% compared to 44.4% in Philadelphia.
Public Schools
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio
Colleges & Universities
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
High School Diploma or Higher
Demographics & Community
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSChicago has a population of 2,707,648, about 1.7x the size of Philadelphia (1,582,432).
Population
Median Age
Avg Household Size
Married Population
Foreign Born
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Chicago
Philadelphia
Healthcare
Source: CMS Hospital ComparePhiladelphia: 4.3 vs Chicago: 3.0 for avg cms rating (out of 5). Chicago: 5 vs Philadelphia: 4 for with emergency services.
Nearby Hospitals
Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)
With Emergency Services
Transportation & Commute — Philadelphia leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSPhiladelphia has a bicycle of 1.9% compared to 1.4% in Chicago. Chicago has a work from home of 18.3% compared to 16.4% in Philadelphia. Chicago has a public transit of 19.3% compared to 17.9% in Philadelphia.
Mean Commute Time
Drive Alone
Public Transit
Bicycle
Work from Home
Airports
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.