Chicago vs Houston
Side-by-side comparison of Chicago, IL and Houston, TX — population, economics, education, health, hospitals, climate, and cost of living from official U.S. government data.
Population
Population
Population
2.7M
Population
2.3M
Median Age
Median Age
38 yrs
Median Age
34.6 yrs
10-Year Pop Growth
10-Year Pop Growth
N/A
10-Year Pop Growth
N/A
Economics
Median Household Income
Median Household Income
$83,498
Median Household Income
$74,983
Median Home Value
Median Home Value
$324,500
Median Home Value
$276,600
Median Rent
Median Rent
$1,435
Median Rent
$1,401
Poverty Rate
Poverty Rate
13.5%
Poverty Rate
16.3%
Unemployment Rate
Unemployment Rate
7%
Unemployment Rate
6.7%
10-Year Income Growth
10-Year Income Growth
N/A
10-Year Income Growth
N/A
Education & Work
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
42.7%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
34.2%
Work From Home
Work From Home
18.9%
Work From Home
12.9%
Public Transit
Public Transit
11.8%
Public Transit
2%
Health (CDC PLACES)
Frequent Mental Distress
Frequent Mental Distress
14.9%
Frequent Mental Distress
16.5%
Obesity
Obesity
31%
Obesity
37.3%
Physical Inactivity
Physical Inactivity
23.3%
Physical Inactivity
26.8%
Smoking
Smoking
11.1%
Smoking
12.7%
Lack of Health Insurance
Lack of Health Insurance
11.8%
Lack of Health Insurance
21.3%
Healthcare
Hospitals
Hospitals
57
Hospitals
48
Avg Hospital Rating
Avg Hospital Rating
2.6/5
Avg Hospital Rating
3.4/5
Demographics
Chicago Population
White 43.6%
African American 22.2%
Asian 7.9%
Houston Population
White 34.4%
African American 19%
Asian 7.3%
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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.