Chicago vs Atlanta

Side-by-side comparison of Chicago, IL and Atlanta, GA — population, economics, education, health, hospitals, climate, and cost of living from official U.S. government data.

Chicago
Illinois
Pop: 2.7M
Income: $83,498
Home: $324,500
Atlanta
Georgia
Pop: 511K
Income: $95,292
Home: $458,800

Population

Population
2.7M
Population
511K
Median Age
38 yrs
Median Age
36.4 yrs
10-Year Pop Growth
N/A
10-Year Pop Growth
N/A

Economics

Median Household Income
$83,498
Median Household Income
$95,292
Median Home Value
$324,500
Median Home Value
$458,800
Median Rent
$1,435
Median Rent
$1,732
Poverty Rate
13.5%
Poverty Rate
12.3%
Unemployment Rate
7%
Unemployment Rate
5.3%
10-Year Income Growth
N/A
10-Year Income Growth
N/A

Education & Work

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
42.7%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
58.5%
Work From Home
18.9%
Work From Home
29.1%
Public Transit
11.8%
Public Transit
3.8%

Health (CDC PLACES)

Frequent Mental Distress
14.9%
Frequent Mental Distress
15.4%
Obesity
31%
Obesity
28.2%
Physical Inactivity
23.3%
Physical Inactivity
20%
Smoking
11.1%
Smoking
9.9%
Lack of Health Insurance
11.8%
Lack of Health Insurance
10.1%

Healthcare

Hospitals
57
Hospitals
8
Avg Hospital Rating
2.6/5
Avg Hospital Rating
2.5/5

Demographics

Chicago Population
White 43.6%
African American 22.2%
Asian 7.9%
Atlanta Population
White 38.2%
African American 42.6%
Asian 7.8%
Two or More Races 3.2%

Want to compare different cities?

Use our interactive city comparison tool →

Related Comparisons

Data Sources

Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2022 5-year estimates). Health data from the CDC PLACES (2023). Hospital data from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020). Cost of living from BEA Regional Price Parities via FRED.