New York City vs Chicago
Side-by-side comparison of New York City, NY and Chicago, IL — population, economics, education, health, hospitals, climate, and cost of living from official U.S. government data.
Population
Population
Population
8.6M
Population
2.7M
Median Age
Median Age
38.9 yrs
Median Age
38 yrs
10-Year Pop Growth
10-Year Pop Growth
N/A
10-Year Pop Growth
N/A
Economics
Median Household Income
Median Household Income
$103,931
Median Household Income
$83,498
Median Home Value
Median Home Value
$1,090,500
Median Home Value
$324,500
Median Rent
Median Rent
$2,197
Median Rent
$1,435
Poverty Rate
Poverty Rate
16.5%
Poverty Rate
13.5%
Unemployment Rate
Unemployment Rate
7.6%
Unemployment Rate
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
64.2%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
42.7%
Work From Home
Work From Home
25.5%
Work From Home
18.9%
Public Transit
Public Transit
43.8%
Public Transit
11.8%
Health (CDC PLACES)
Frequent Mental Distress
Frequent Mental Distress
14.5%
Frequent Mental Distress
14.9%
Obesity
Obesity
19.2%
Obesity
31%
Physical Inactivity
Physical Inactivity
20.4%
Physical Inactivity
23.3%
Smoking
Smoking
8.2%
Smoking
11.1%
Lack of Health Insurance
Lack of Health Insurance
6.8%
Lack of Health Insurance
11.8%
Healthcare
Hospitals
Hospitals
16
Hospitals
57
Avg Hospital Rating
Avg Hospital Rating
3.2/5
Avg Hospital Rating
2.6/5
Demographics
New York City Population
White 48.3%
African American 13.7%
Asian 12.4%
Two or More Races 1.2%
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.