San Jose vs Chicago
A side-by-side comparison of San Jose, California and Chicago, Illinois — population, climate, cost of living, demographics, and more.
| Place |  San JoseCalifornia, United States |  ChicagoIllinois, United States |
|---|---|---|
| Location | ||
| State / region | California | Illinois |
| Country | 🇺🇸 United States | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Coordinates | 37.296, -121.815 | 41.837, -87.685 |
| Elevation | 25 m | 178 m |
| Timezone | Pacific Time Zone | — |
| Founded | 1777 | — |
| Size | ||
| Population | 997,395 | 2,721,326 |
| Land area | 177.9 mi² | 227.7 mi² |
| Water area | 3.1 mi² | 6.8 mi² |
| Density (per mi²) | 5,605 | 11,949 |
| Housing units | 345,884 | 1,282,248 |
| Demographics | ||
| Median age | 38.6 | 35.9 |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 23.2% | 36.5% |
| Black or African American | 3.1% | 26.3% |
| Asian | 42.1% | 7.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 30.0% | 30.2% |
| Economy & education | ||
| Median household income | $148,226 | $80,613 |
| Median home value | $1,271,200 | $341,200 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 49.0% | 46.4% |
| Poverty rate | 8.1% | 16.6% |
| Unemployment | 5.5% | 7.3% |
| Climate | ||
| Avg high temp | 73°F | 59°F |
| Avg low temp | 51°F | 45°F |
| Annual precipitation | 20.9 in | 45.7 in |
| Sunshine % of year | 76.0% | 55.0% |
| Annual solar (kWh/m²) | 1,942 | 1,403 |
| Air & environment | ||
| US AQI | 31 | 111 |
| Air quality category | Good | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 5.6 | 29.1 |
| PM10 (µg/m³) | 8.4 | 29.5 |
| Ozone (µg/m³) | 57.0 | 126.0 |
| NO₂ (µg/m³) | 4.1 | 4.7 |
| Wildlife species observed | 10 | 10 |
| Wildlife observations | 1,717,960 | 2,935,043 |
| Risk & hazards | ||
| Earthquakes (last 10y) | — | 6 |
| Largest earthquake (mag) | — | 3.8 |
| Active weather alerts | — | 2 |
| Health | ||
| Obesity | 23.5% | 32.9% |
| Diabetes | 10.7% | 12.4% |
| Smoking | 9.3% | 12.1% |
| Schools | ||
| Schools total | 257 | 711 |
| Elementary schools | 165 | 487 |
| Middle schools | 45 | 35 |
| High schools | 44 | 166 |
| Civic & interest | ||
| Mayor / leader | Matt Mahan | — |
| Sister cities | 9 | — |
| Notable people (Wikidata) | 16 | 16 |
| Books about this place | 8 | 8 |
| Wikipedia views (last 30d) | 47,407 | 8,687 |
| Overview | ||
| Summary | San Jose, officially the City of San José, is the most populous city in the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California, and the 13th-most populous in the United States, with an estimated 989,814 residents as of 2025. The city's metropolitan area is home to nearly two million people, while the broader combined statistical area has a population of over nine million. Located in the center of the Santa Clara Valley on the southern shore of San Francisco Bay, San Jose covers an area of 179.97 sq mi (466.1 km2) and is the county seat of Santa Clara County. Wikipedia | Chicago is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the third-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 2.74 million at the 2020 census. The Chicago metropolitan area has 9.41 million residents and is the third-largest metropolitan area in the country. Chicago is the county seat of Cook County, the second-most populous county in the U.S. Wikipedia |
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