Population
Detroit
636,644
Chicago
2,707,648
Median Income
Detroit
$39,575
Chicago
$75,134
Home Value
Detroit
$76,800
Chicago
$315,200
Rent
Detroit
$1,034
Chicago
$1,380
Crime Rate
Detroit
17.82
Chicago
5.40
Cost of Living
Detroit
76.9
Chicago
131.3
Avg Temp
Detroit
50°F
Chicago
51°F
Unemployment
Detroit
14.2%
Chicago
7.9%
At a Glance
0
Detroit
0
Chicago
Chicago leads in 6 of 8 categories
Cost of Living & Affordability — Detroit leads
Source: City Stats Index / HUDDetroit scores 60.5 on the transportation index (100 = national avg) vs 120.0 in Chicago. Detroit scores 85.1 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 164.7 in Chicago. Detroit has a living wage (1 adult) of $33,837 vs $57,777 in Chicago (41% 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 — Detroit leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSDetroit has a single-family homes of 71.9% compared to 29.2% in Chicago. Chicago has a vacancy rate of 9.6% compared to 22.3% in Detroit. Chicago has a median home value of $315,200 vs $76,800 in Detroit (76% 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 has a poverty rate of 16.8% compared to 31.5% in Detroit. Chicago: 1,502,336 vs Detroit: 269,860 for labor force. Chicago has a unemployment rate of 7.9% compared to 14.2% in Detroit.
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 14.74 in Detroit. Detroit has a violent crime clearance of 42.3% compared to 9.5% in Chicago. Chicago has a violent crime rate (per 1k) of 5.40 compared to 17.82 in Detroit.
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 — Chicago leads
Source: NOAA / Open-MeteoDetroit: 31.2" vs Chicago: 36.2" for annual rainfall. Chicago: 10.5" vs Detroit: 11.0" for annual snowfall. Chicago averages 44°F, about 1°F cooler than Detroit.
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 11.6% in Detroit. Chicago has a high school diploma or higher of 45.7% compared to 33.4% in Detroit.
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 4.3x the size of Detroit (636,644).
Population
Median Age
Avg Household Size
Married Population
Foreign Born
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Detroit
Chicago
Healthcare — Chicago leads
Source: CMS Hospital CompareChicago: 5 vs Detroit: 4 for with emergency services. Chicago: 3.0 vs Detroit: 2.5 for avg cms rating (out of 5).
Nearby Hospitals
Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)
With Emergency Services
Transportation & Commute — Chicago leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSChicago has a public transit of 19.3% compared to 6.0% in Detroit. Chicago has a bicycle of 1.4% compared to 0.5% in Detroit. Chicago has a work from home of 18.3% compared to 10.1% in Detroit.
Mean Commute Time
Drive Alone
Public Transit
Bicycle
Work from Home
Airports