Los Angeles vs Chicago

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

Los Angeles
California
Pop: 3.8M
Income: $90,112
Home: $834,200
Chicago
Illinois
Pop: 2.7M
Income: $83,498
Home: $324,500

Population

Population
3.8M
Population
2.7M
Median Age
38.2 yrs
Median Age
38 yrs
10-Year Pop Growth
N/A
10-Year Pop Growth
N/A

Economics

Median Household Income
$90,112
Median Household Income
$83,498
Median Home Value
$834,200
Median Home Value
$324,500
Median Rent
$1,954
Median Rent
$1,435
Poverty Rate
13.7%
Poverty Rate
13.5%
Unemployment Rate
7.3%
Unemployment Rate
7%
10-Year Income Growth
N/A
10-Year Income Growth
N/A

Education & Work

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
36%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
42.7%
Work From Home
17.1%
Work From Home
18.9%
Public Transit
3.9%
Public Transit
11.8%

Health (CDC PLACES)

Frequent Mental Distress
16.2%
Frequent Mental Distress
14.9%
Obesity
26.5%
Obesity
31%
Physical Inactivity
26.2%
Physical Inactivity
23.3%
Smoking
11.2%
Smoking
11.1%
Lack of Health Insurance
11.7%
Lack of Health Insurance
11.8%

Healthcare

Hospitals
88
Hospitals
57
Avg Hospital Rating
2.7/5
Avg Hospital Rating
2.6/5

Demographics

Los Angeles Population
White 30.9%
African American 7.7%
Asian 15.2%
Chicago Population
White 43.6%
African American 22.2%
Asian 7.9%

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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.