Population

East Chicago

26,158

Chester

33,209

Median Income

East Chicago

$41,071

Chester

$39,809

Home Value

East Chicago

$92,400

Chester

$85,400

Rent

East Chicago

$820

Chester

$1,080

Crime Rate

East Chicago

8.26

Chester

5.23

Cost of Living

East Chicago

73.1

Chester

81.8

Avg Temp

East Chicago

N/A

Chester

N/A

Unemployment

East Chicago

7.9%

Chester

17.6%

Loading map…

How Similar Are East Chicago & Chester?

Chester is East Chicago's #12 most similar city

3/10

3 of 10 key metrics match within 10%

Population

👥

East Chicago

26,158

vs

Chester

33,209

Different · 21% difference

Chester has a 21% larger population than East Chicago.

Violent Crime

East Chicago

8.26

vs

Chester

5.23

Different · 37% difference
🚨

East Chicago has a 37% higher violent crime than Chester.

Property Crime

🔒

East Chicago

15.90

vs

Chester

18.17

Different · 12% difference

Chester has a 12% higher property crime than East Chicago.

Political Leaning

East Chicago

46.5%

vs

Chester

37.6%

Different · 19% difference
🗳️

Both cities lean Democratic, but East Chicago has a stronger Democratic lean (19% difference).

Unemployment

💼

East Chicago

7.9%

vs

Chester

17.6%

Different · 55% difference

Chester's unemployment is significantly higher than East Chicago's — 55% difference.

Median Income

East Chicago

$41,071

vs

Chester

$39,809

Match · 3% difference
💰

Both cities have similar median income — just a 3% difference.

Home Values

🏠

East Chicago

$92,400

vs

Chester

$85,400

Match · 8% difference

Both cities have similar home values — just a 8% difference.

Education

East Chicago

6.5%

vs

Chester

8.2%

Different · 21% difference
🎓

Chester has a 21% higher education than East Chicago.

Demographics

🌍

East Chicago

16.1%

vs

Chester

16.4%

Match · 1% difference

Both cities have similar demographics — just a 1% difference.

Cost of Living

East Chicago

73.1

vs

Chester

81.8

Different · 11% difference
💵

Chester has a 11% higher cost of living than East Chicago.

3 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. East Chicago and Chester differ in most key areas.

At a Glance

0

East Chicago

vsof 8

0

Chester

East Chicago leads in 3 of 8 categories

Cost of Living & Affordability — East Chicago leads

Source: City Stats Index / HUD

East Chicago has a fair market rent (1br) of $1,082 vs $1,520 in Chester (29% lower). East Chicago has a fair market rent (2br) of $1,317 vs $1,810 in Chester (27% lower). East Chicago scores 72.1 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 91.0 in Chester.

Overall Cost Index

East Chicago73.1
Chester81.8

Housing Index

East Chicago72.1
Chester91.0

Food Index

East Chicago81.4
Chester80.4

Transportation Index

East Chicago62.8
Chester78.1

Healthcare Index

East Chicago85.1
Chester84.3

Utilities Index

East Chicago83.3
Chester86.5

Living Wage (1 Adult)

East Chicago$32,171
Chester$36,007

Living Wage (Family of 4)

East Chicago$76,041
Chester$85,107

Fair Market Rent (1BR)

East Chicago$1,082
Chester$1,520

Fair Market Rent (2BR)

East Chicago$1,317
Chester$1,810

Housing Market — East Chicago leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

East Chicago has a median property tax of $989 vs $1,676 in Chester (41% lower). Chester has a single-family homes of 73.4% compared to 50.2% in East Chicago. Chester has a vacancy rate of 15.3% compared to 19.6% in East Chicago.

Median Home Value

East Chicago$92,400
Chester$85,400

Median Rent

East Chicago$820
Chester$1,080

Median Property Tax

East Chicago$989
Chester$1,676

Owner-Occupied

East Chicago44.1%
Chester40.9%

Vacancy Rate

East Chicago19.6%
Chester15.3%

Single-Family Homes

East Chicago50.2%
Chester73.4%

Jobs & Economy — East Chicago leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

East Chicago has a unemployment rate of 7.9% compared to 17.6% in Chester. Chester has a work from home of 8.6% compared to 3.9% in East Chicago. Chester: 15,521 vs East Chicago: 11,431 for labor force.

Median Household Income

East Chicago$41,071
Chester$39,809

Per Capita Income

East Chicago$23,164
Chester$23,451

Poverty Rate

East Chicago27.0%
Chester30.8%

Unemployment Rate

East Chicago7.9%
Chester17.6%

Labor Force

East Chicago11,431
Chester15,521

Mean Commute

East ChicagoN/A
Chester20 min

Work from Home

East Chicago3.9%
Chester8.6%

Private Sector

East Chicago98.1%
Chester83.9%

Government Sector

East Chicago46.3%
Chester40.5%

Crime & Safety — Chester leads

Source: FBI UCR

Chester has a assault rate (per 1k) of 3.48 compared to 6.59 in East Chicago. Chester has a violent crime clearance of 57.1% compared to 17.0% in East Chicago. East Chicago has a burglary rate (per 1k) of 1.44 compared to 3.98 in Chester.

Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)

East Chicago8.26
Chester5.23

Property Crime Rate (per 1K)

East Chicago15.90
Chester18.17

Murder Rate (per 1K)

East Chicago0.12
Chester0.00

Robbery Rate (per 1K)

East Chicago0.82
Chester1.49

Assault Rate (per 1K)

East Chicago6.59
Chester3.48

Burglary Rate (per 1K)

East Chicago1.44
Chester3.98

Larceny Rate (per 1K)

East Chicago9.20
Chester11.95

Violent Crime Clearance

East Chicago17.0%
Chester57.1%

Property Crime Clearance

East Chicago7.6%
Chester17.8%

Weather & Climate

Source: NOAA / Open-Meteo

Avg Annual Temperature

East ChicagoN/A
ChesterN/A

Avg Annual High

East ChicagoN/A
ChesterN/A

Avg Annual Low

East ChicagoN/A
ChesterN/A

Sunny Days per Year

East ChicagoN/A
ChesterN/A

Annual Rainfall

East ChicagoN/A
ChesterN/A

Annual Snowfall

East ChicagoN/A
ChesterN/A

Avg Humidity

East ChicagoN/A
ChesterN/A

Schools & Education — Chester leads

Source: NCES / U.S. Census Bureau

Chester has a bachelor's degree or higher of 8.2% compared to 6.5% in East Chicago. Chester has a high school diploma or higher of 38.2% compared to 32.2% in East Chicago.

Public Schools

East Chicago0
Chester0

Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

East ChicagoN/A
ChesterN/A

Colleges & Universities

East Chicago0
Chester0

Bachelor's Degree or Higher

East Chicago6.5%
Chester8.2%

High School Diploma or Higher

East Chicago32.2%
Chester38.2%

Demographics & Community

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Chester has a population of 33,209, about 1.3x the size of East Chicago (26,158). Chester skews younger with a median age of 33.3 vs 36.5.

Population

East Chicago26,158
Chester33,209

Median Age

East Chicago37
Chester33

Avg Household Size

East Chicago2.6
Chester2.4

Married Population

East Chicago25.5%
Chester17.3%

Foreign Born

East Chicago16.1%
Chester4.3%

White

East Chicago16.1%
Chester16.4%

Black

East Chicago37.4%
Chester71.7%

Hispanic

East Chicago56.5%
Chester9.6%

Asian

East Chicago0.1%
Chester0.8%

East Chicago

Chester

Healthcare

Source: CMS Hospital Compare

Chester: 2.8 vs East Chicago: 2.0 for avg cms rating (out of 5). East Chicago: 5 vs Chester: 4 for with emergency services.

Nearby Hospitals

East Chicago5
Chester5

Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)

East Chicago2.0
Chester2.8

With Emergency Services

East Chicago5
Chester4

Transportation & Commute

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

East Chicago has a bicycle of 0.6% compared to 0.1% in Chester. Chester has a public transit of 9.6% compared to 0.8% in East Chicago. Chester has a work from home of 8.6% compared to 3.9% in East Chicago.

Mean Commute Time

East ChicagoN/A
Chester20 min

Drive Alone

East Chicago75.7%
Chester61.3%

Public Transit

East Chicago0.8%
Chester9.6%

Bicycle

East Chicago0.6%
Chester0.1%

Work from Home

East Chicago3.9%
Chester8.6%

Airports

East Chicago0
Chester0

Cities Similar to East Chicago, IN

Compare East 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

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