Chicago vs San Antonio
A side-by-side comparison of Chicago, Illinois and San Antonio, Texas — population, climate, cost of living, demographics, and more.
| Place |  ChicagoIllinois, United States |  San AntonioTexas, United States |
|---|---|---|
| Location | ||
| State / region | Illinois | Texas |
| Country | 🇺🇸 United States | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Coordinates | 41.837, -87.685 | 29.463, -98.525 |
| Elevation | 178 m | 222 m |
| Size | ||
| Population | 2,721,326 | 1,526,621 |
| Land area | 227.7 mi² | 498.9 mi² |
| Water area | 6.8 mi² | 5.8 mi² |
| Density (per mi²) | 11,949 | 3,060 |
| Housing units | 1,282,248 | 629,160 |
| Demographics | ||
| Median age | 35.9 | 34.9 |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 36.5% | 39.9% |
| Black or African American | 26.3% | 7.2% |
| Asian | 7.8% | 3.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 30.2% | 65.1% |
| Economy & education | ||
| Median household income | $80,613 | $66,176 |
| Median home value | $341,200 | $260,900 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 46.4% | 29.4% |
| Poverty rate | 16.6% | 17.1% |
| Unemployment | 7.3% | 5.6% |
| Climate | ||
| Avg high temp | 59°F | 81°F |
| Avg low temp | 45°F | 62°F |
| Annual precipitation | 45.7 in | 40.4 in |
| Sunshine % of year | 55.0% | 69.0% |
| Annual solar (kWh/m²) | 1,403 | 1,766 |
| Air & environment | ||
| US AQI | 111 | 58 |
| Air quality category | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | Moderate |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 29.1 | 15.9 |
| PM10 (µg/m³) | 29.5 | 21.4 |
| Ozone (µg/m³) | 126.0 | 71.0 |
| NO₂ (µg/m³) | 4.7 | 1.2 |
| Wildlife species observed | 10 | 10 |
| Wildlife observations | 2,935,043 | 843,332 |
| Risk & hazards | ||
| Earthquakes (last 10y) | 6 | 267 |
| Largest earthquake (mag) | 3.8 | 4.8 |
| Active weather alerts | 2 | — |
| Health | ||
| Obesity | 32.9% | 35.2% |
| Diabetes | 12.4% | 14.9% |
| Smoking | 12.1% | 13.3% |
| Schools | ||
| Schools total | 711 | 403 |
| Elementary schools | 487 | 218 |
| Middle schools | 35 | 62 |
| High schools | 166 | 78 |
| Civic & interest | ||
| Notable people (Wikidata) | 16 | 16 |
| Books about this place | 8 | 8 |
| Wikipedia views (last 30d) | 8,687 | 5,794 |
| 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 | San Antonio is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the seventh-most populous city in the United States, the second-most populous city in Texas, and the second-most populous city in the Southern U.S., with a population of 1.43 million at the 2020 census. The Greater San Antonio metropolitan area, with an estimated 2.76 million residents, ranks as the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest in the nation. It is the county seat of Bexar County. Wikipedia |
Want a deeper comparison or to add a third city?
Open in interactive compare