Chicago, IL vs New York, NY

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricChicago, ILNew York, NY
Population2,711,2268,483,844
Median Household Income$77,902$80,483
Median Rent$1,440/mo$1,821/mo
Median Home Value$334,100$777,600
Cost of Living (US = 100)104113
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income45.6%49.8%
Poverty Rate16.8%17.9%
Unemployment Rate4.9%5.2%
Violent Crime Rate /100k420660
Property Crime Rate /100k2,9562,300
Median AQI5339
Good AQI Days /yr149233
Summer Highs83°F82°F
Winter Lows22°F30°F
Snowfall39 in/yr25 in/yr
Avg Commute33.1 min40.3 min
Hospitals3345
Avg Hospital Rating2.5 / 52.6 / 5
Students per Teacher1412.2
College Degree Rate44.3%41.6%
Foreign-Born %20.9%36.6%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-0.6%-2.5%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.