Chicago in numbers — economics, housing, urban form, mobility, beside the national average.
Chicago, IL, anchors the midwest with 2,700,000 residents on 234 square miles — 11,538 to the square mile. Its economy produces $630.3 billion — $94,237 per resident — led by finance, professional services, technology, tourism. The median home trades at $329,900. The built city reads as mixed vertical, a legacy of its early industrial growth.
Central Business District
| Cbd Name |
The Loop |
| Cbd Type |
primary |
| Center Lat |
41.9 |
| Center Lng |
-87.63 |
| Radius Km |
7.23 |
| Total Buildings |
4,121 |
| Buildings 10plus Floors |
1,196 |
| Buildings 20plus Floors |
568 |
Overview
| City Name |
Chicago |
| State |
IL |
| Country |
United States |
| Region |
Midwest |
| Area Km2 |
606.1 |
| Land Area Sq Miles |
234 |
| Population |
2,700,000 |
| Population Density Per Sqmi |
11,538.46 |
| Population Growth Rate 1 |
2.21 |
| Metropolitan Population |
9,460,000 |
Economics
|
City |
Natl avg |
| Gdp Billions 2 |
630.3 |
319.49 |
| Gdp Per Capita 3 |
94,237 |
69,842.03 |
| Unemployment Rate |
4.3 |
4.14 |
| Major Industries |
Finance, Professional Services, Technology, Tourism |
— |
| Average Income |
67,898 |
72,708.01 |
| Cost Living Index 4 |
176.8 |
110.36 |
| Housing Affordability Ratio 5 |
14.2 |
5.46 |
Housing
|
City |
Natl avg |
| Median Home Price |
329,900 |
512,278.7 |
| Rental Affordability Index 6 |
4.57 |
6.15 |
| Housing Typology Diversity 7 |
0.85 |
0.76 |
| Housing Price Growth Rate 8 |
2.21 |
1.76 |
Urban Form
|
City |
Natl avg |
| Area Sqmi |
234 |
124.28 |
| Built Density 9 |
11,538.46 |
4,657.14 |
| Avg Building Height 10 |
108.5 |
182.56 |
| Land Use Mix Index 11 |
-1,388.88 |
-1,485.93 |
| Public Space Percentage |
0 |
0.1 |
| Street Connectivity Index 12 |
7.7 |
4.9 |
| Sprawl Index 13 |
1 |
1.84 |
| Historical Development Pattern |
Early Industrial |
— |
| Building Age Distribution |
{"pre_1950": 0, "1950_1979": 0, "1980_1999": 4, "2000_plus": 11} |
— |
| Urban Morphology Type |
Mixed Vertical |
— |
Mobility
|
City |
Natl avg |
| Public Transit Mode Share 14 |
72.4 |
21.36 |
| Walkability Score 15 |
77.2 |
49.04 |
| Cycling Infrastructure Miles |
75.2 |
44.83 |
| Avg Commute Time |
35.8 |
25.74 |
| Traffic Congestion Index 16 |
80.6 |
47.8 |
| Vehicle Ownership Rate |
40 |
74.17 |
| Transportation Accessibility Score |
74.4 |
34.36 |
| Micromobility Options |
Bikeshare |
— |
| Transit Frequency Score 17 |
9 |
3.64 |
World Comparison
| Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) |
1,982,112 — 73% of Chicago |
| Dubai (UAE) |
3,600,000 — 133% of Chicago |
| Hong Kong (China) |
7,500,700 — 278% of Chicago |
The Building Stock
| Buildings On File |
5,578 |
| With Measured Heights |
4,705 |
| Mean Roof Height |
81 ft (24.8 m) |
| Tallest On File |
1,450 ft (442.1 m) |
| Under 100 Ft |
3,666 |
| 100 To 250 Ft |
588 |
| 250 To 500 Ft |
357 |
| 500 To 1,000 Ft |
88 |
| 1,000 Ft And Above |
6 |
The Tallest On File
| Willis Tower |
1,450 ft |
| Trump International Hotel and Tower |
1,388 ft |
| St. Regis Chicago |
1,191 ft |
| Aon Center |
1,135 ft |
| John Hancock Center |
1,129 ft |
| Aon Center |
1,115 ft |
| 311 South Wacker Drive |
961 ft |
| One Museum Park |
915 ft |
Further Reading
| Art Institute of Chicago |
Public API: https://api.artic.edu/docs/ |
| Art Institute of Chicago |
The Collection: https://www.artic.edu/collection |
| Art Institute of Chicago |
Tools for Teaching and Learning: https://www.artic.edu/tools-for-teaching-learning |
Compiled 2026-11-01 from the urbanicity research tables.
1 Population Growth Rate — Annualized rate, recent period.
2 Gdp Billions — Metropolitan GDP, in billions of USD.
3 Gdp Per Capita — Metro GDP divided by resident population, USD.
4 Cost Living Index — Composite cost of living; U.S. average = 100.
5 Housing Affordability Ratio — Median home price ÷ median household income; higher = less affordable.
6 Rental Affordability Index — Share of income consumed by median rent; higher = less affordable.
7 Housing Typology Diversity — Mix of housing types, 0–1; higher = more varied stock.
8 Housing Price Growth Rate — Annualized price change, recent period.
9 Built Density — Population per square mile of built-up land.
10 Avg Building Height — Mean building height, feet.
11 Land Use Mix Index — Diversity of land uses; source column under data review.
12 Street Connectivity Index — Intersection density and network grain; higher = finer grid.
13 Sprawl Index — Compactness measure; higher = more sprawl.
14 Public Transit Mode Share — Percent of commutes by transit.
15 Walkability Score — 0–100; higher = more walkable.
16 Traffic Congestion Index — Delay relative to free-flow travel; higher = worse.
17 Transit Frequency Score — Service frequency composite, 0–10.