Population
Philadelphia
1,582,432
Chicago
2,707,648
Median Income
Philadelphia
$60,698
Chicago
$75,134
Home Value
Philadelphia
$232,400
Chicago
$315,200
Rent
Philadelphia
$1,323
Chicago
$1,380
Crime Rate
Philadelphia
9.10
Chicago
5.40
Cost of Living
Philadelphia
111.1
Chicago
131.3
Avg Temp
Philadelphia
55°F
Chicago
51°F
Unemployment
Philadelphia
8.4%
Chicago
7.9%
How Similar Are Philadelphia & Chicago?
Chicago is Philadelphia's #10 most similar city
2 of 10 key metrics match within 10%
Population
Philadelphia
1,582,432
Chicago
2,707,648
Chicago has a 42% larger population than Philadelphia.
Violent Crime
Philadelphia
9.10
Chicago
5.40
Philadelphia has a 41% higher violent crime than Chicago.
Property Crime
Philadelphia
45.48
Chicago
34.72
Philadelphia has a 24% higher property crime than Chicago.
Political Leaning
Philadelphia
20.0%
Chicago
28.4%
Both cities lean Democratic, but Chicago has a stronger Democratic lean (30% difference).
Unemployment
Philadelphia
8.4%
Chicago
7.9%
Both cities have similar unemployment — just a 6% difference.
Median Income
Philadelphia
$60,698
Chicago
$75,134
Chicago has a 19% higher median income than Philadelphia.
Home Values
Philadelphia
$232,400
Chicago
$315,200
Chicago has a 26% higher home values than Philadelphia.
Education
Philadelphia
23.8%
Chicago
30.6%
Chicago has a 22% higher education than Philadelphia.
Demographics
Philadelphia
36.1%
Chicago
39.0%
Both cities have similar demographics — just a 7% difference.
Cost of Living
Philadelphia
111.1
Chicago
131.3
Chicago has a 15% higher cost of living than Philadelphia.
2 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Philadelphia and Chicago differ in most key areas.
At a Glance
0
Philadelphia
0
Chicago
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 (15% 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 single-family homes of 64.8% compared to 29.2% in Chicago. Philadelphia has a median property tax of $1,952 vs $4,814 in Chicago (59% lower). Chicago has a median home value of $315,200 vs $232,400 in Philadelphia (26% 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 poverty rate of 16.8% compared to 22.0% in Philadelphia. Chicago has a per capita income of $48,148 vs $37,669 in Philadelphia (22% 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 warmer 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
Philadelphia
Chicago
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 Philadelphia, PA
Compare Philadelphia 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.