Smart Movers Club

    Moving to Chicago, IL

    Is Chicago a good place to live?

    Watch Chicago

    Chicago ranks #78 of 87 Illinois cities with 25,000+ people on the Smart Movers livability score (30/100), which weighs home affordability, unemployment, education and population growth. Population fell 0.5% in the latest Census year.

    Median home value
    $315,200
    +3.5% vs prior year
    Median rent
    $1,380
    per month
    Household income
    $75,134
    median
    Unemployment
    7.9%
    lower is better

    Cost of living in Chicago

    The median home value in Chicago is $315,200 and median rent is $1,380 a month, against a median household income of $75,134. Homes cost about 4.2× a year of income (under 3× is considered affordable).

    Chicago crime rate

    City-level FBI figures vary by agency; across Illinois the 2025 rate was 258 violent and 1,556 property crimes per 100,000 people — #24 highest of 50 states. The full report breaks down local trends.

    Moving to Chicago, IL

    Chicago has about 2,707,648 residents, 7.9% unemployment and 25% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher.

    Compare Chicago with

    Chicago vs AuroraChicago vs JolietChicago vs NapervilleChicago vs RockfordChicago vs ElginChicago vs SpringfieldChicago vs PeoriaChicago vs Waukegan

    More: Where to move in Illinois · Best counties in Illinois

    Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates (2023, compared with 2022); FBI Crime Data Explorer.

    Home listings, local news, migration, schools, resources and the Smart Movers Grade & Verdict.

    See the full Smart Movers Club report