CITY PROFILE
Chicago, IL
WHAT LIVING HERE IS LIKE
Chicago is on the pricier side of our dataset, so expect to pay a premium for housing compared to many other metros. The city experiences a temperate four-season climate with moderate sunshine and moderate rainfall throughout the year. As a major metro, you'll find substantial urban density, amenities, and infrastructure.
By the numbers
| Typical home value | $354K · Zillow, May 2026 (ZHVI) |
|---|---|
| Typical rent | $2,266/mo · Zillow, May 2026 (ZORI) |
| Average temperature | 9.8°C · warmest 22.6°C · coolest -2.5°C · NASA POWER |
| Annual precipitation | 982 mm · NASA POWER |
| Sunshine (solar energy) | 3.84 kWh/m²/day · NASA POWER (annual mean) |
| Metro size rank (US) | #3 · Zillow SizeRank |
Match scores
- Affordable to buy84
- Affordable to rent49
- Climate comfort47
- Plenty of sunshine38
- Big-city amenities100
Scores are 0–100, normalised across the metros we cover, derived from the sourced figures above (higher = better on that factor). A research aid, not a recommendation to move. Job market, safety, and healthcare access need key-gated feeds (BLS, FBI, Census) not yet wired — see the methodology.
