Chicago vs Boston
A side-by-side comparison of Chicago, Illinois and Boston, Massachusetts — population, climate, cost of living, demographics, and more.
| Place |  ChicagoIllinois, United States |  BostonMassachusetts, United States |
|---|---|---|
| Location | ||
| State / region | Illinois | Massachusetts |
| Country | 🇺🇸 United States | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Coordinates | 41.837, -87.685 | 42.339, -71.018 |
| Elevation | 178 m | 4 m |
| Size | ||
| Population | 2,721,326 | 673,822 |
| Land area | 227.7 mi² | 48.3 mi² |
| Water area | 6.8 mi² | 41.3 mi² |
| Density (per mi²) | 11,949 | 13,939 |
| Housing units | 1,282,248 | 318,010 |
| Demographics | ||
| Median age | 35.9 | 33.8 |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 36.5% | 46.1% |
| Black or African American | 26.3% | 19.5% |
| Asian | 7.8% | 10.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 30.2% | 20.7% |
| Economy & education | ||
| Median household income | $80,613 | $97,791 |
| Median home value | $341,200 | $722,800 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 46.4% | 55.4% |
| Poverty rate | 16.6% | 16.5% |
| Unemployment | 7.3% | 4.8% |
| Climate | ||
| Avg high temp | 59°F | 60°F |
| Avg low temp | 45°F | 45°F |
| Annual precipitation | 45.7 in | 46.7 in |
| Sunshine % of year | 55.0% | 54.0% |
| Annual solar (kWh/m²) | 1,403 | 1,392 |
| Air & environment | ||
| US AQI | 111 | 58 |
| Air quality category | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | Moderate |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 29.1 | 22.4 |
| PM10 (µg/m³) | 29.5 | 22.9 |
| Ozone (µg/m³) | 126.0 | 73.0 |
| NO₂ (µg/m³) | 4.7 | 13.3 |
| Wildlife species observed | 10 | 10 |
| Wildlife observations | 2,935,043 | 3,978,954 |
| Risk & hazards | ||
| Earthquakes (last 10y) | 6 | 11 |
| Largest earthquake (mag) | 3.8 | 3.8 |
| Active weather alerts | 2 | 1 |
| Health | ||
| Obesity | 32.9% | 25.1% |
| Diabetes | 12.4% | 10.3% |
| Smoking | 12.1% | 11.8% |
| Schools | ||
| Schools total | 711 | 157 |
| Elementary schools | 487 | 94 |
| Middle schools | 35 | 12 |
| High schools | 166 | 44 |
| Civic & interest | ||
| Notable people (Wikidata) | 16 | 16 |
| Books about this place | 8 | 8 |
| Wikipedia views (last 30d) | 8,687 | 6,790 |
| Overview | ||
| Summary | 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 | Boston is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It serves as a cultural and financial center of New England, a region of the Northeastern United States. Boston has an area of 48.4 sq mi (125 km2) and a population of 675,647 as of the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in the Northeastern United States after New York City and Philadelphia. The larger Greater Boston metropolitan statistical area had a population of 4.9 million in 2023, making it the largest metropolitan area in New England and the eleventh-largest in the United States. Wikipedia |
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