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Data on this report is based on areas within the legal city boundary, outlined in black on the map. Any additional neighborhoods shown on the map are associated with the city by name and are included for reference only.

Chicago, IL
Real Estate & Demographic Data






Chicago profile


Living in Chicago



Chicago is an enormous city located in the state of Illinois. With a population of 2,665,039 people and 792 associated neighborhoods, Chicago is the largest community in Illinois. Much of the housing stock in Chicago was built prior to World War II, making it one of the older and more historic cities in the country.

Chicago real estate is some of the most expensive in Illinois, although Chicago house values don't compare to the most expensive real estate in the U.S.

Also of interest is that Chicago has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US.

A relatively large number of people in Chicago telecommute to their jobs. Overall, about 15.59% of the workforce works from home. While this may seem like a small number, as a fraction of the total workforce it ranks among the highest in the country. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Chicago is a popular destination for single career-starters. One thing that you will notice when you are out and about town is that there is a large population of people who are young, single, educated, and upwardly-mobile career starters out at restaurants, listening to live music, and enjoying other activities. They are a real visible part of the culture of Chicago. This makes Chicago a good place to live for young professionals. With so many people in this demographic, Chicago presents many opportunities for single professionals to enjoy themselves, socialize, and to create lasting relationships.

One downside of living in Chicago is that it can take a long time to commute to work. In Chicago, the average commute to work is 34.71 minutes, which is quite a bit higher than the national average. On the other hand, local public transit is widely used in the city, so leaving the car at home and taking transit is often a viable alternative. In addition, it is also a pedestrian-friendly city. Many of Chicago’s neighborhoods are dense enough and have amenities close enough together that people find it feasible to get around on foot.

Chicago, like many big cities in America, has a public transportation system, but the citizens of Chicago are lucky because theirs is one of the most extensive and widely used. Many commuters choose to leave their cars at home and instead use the bus to get to and from work. In fact, for some people it is feasible to forgo car ownership entirely, avoiding the cost and headache of driving in heavy traffic. The benefits include reduced air pollution and load on the road network.

Chicago is one of the most well-educated cities in the nation. 42.43% of adults in Chicago have at least a bachelor's degree. Compare that to the average community in America, which has just 21.84% with a bachelor's degree or higher.

The per capita income in Chicago in 2018 was $45,840, which is wealthy relative to Illinois and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $183,360 for a family of four. However, Chicago contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

Chicago is an extremely ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Chicago home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Chicago residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Chicago also has a sizeable Hispanic population (people of Hispanic origin can be of any race). People of Hispanic or Latino origin account for 28.95% of the city’s residents. Important ancestries of people in Chicago include German, Irish, Polish, Italian, and English.

In addition, Chicago has a lot of people living here who were born outside of the US (20.24%).

The most common language spoken in Chicago is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Chinese.