Which is better, Chicago, IL or Detroit, MI?

Chicago, IL comes out ahead of Detroit, MI on 29 of 51 statistics where one end is better, to 22. Chicago, IL leads on Crime & Safety and Economics. Statistics where neither end is better, and totals that mostly track population, are not counted.

Which has more people, Chicago, IL or Detroit, MI?

Chicago, IL has a population of 2,727,758 (3rd of 477 US cities) and Detroit, MI has 650,499 (25th of 477).

How do Chicago, IL and Detroit, MI compare on Median Household Income?

Median Household Income: Chicago, IL $77,902 (178th of 434), Detroit, MI $39,938 (426th of 434) among US cities. Chicago, IL ranks better.

How do Chicago, IL and Detroit, MI compare on Median Home Value (Capped at $2M)?

Median Home Value (Capped at $2M): Chicago, IL $334,100 (228th of 434), Detroit, MI $83,900 (3rd of 434) among US cities. Detroit, MI ranks better.

Where does Chicago, IL beat Detroit, MI most clearly?

Chicago, IL ranks far ahead on Bachelor’s Degree or Higher (% of Adults 25+) (Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)): 44.3% vs 18.1%; Median Household Income (Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)): $77,902 vs $39,938; Price Level (Utilities) (Cost of Living by City (Metro Price Parities)): 83.6 vs 107.0.

Where does Detroit, MI beat Chicago, IL most clearly?

Detroit, MI ranks far ahead on Median Home Value (Capped at $2M) (Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)): $83,900 vs $334,100; Price Level (Goods) (Cost of Living by City (Metro Price Parities)): 98.8 vs 107.3; Median Rent (Monthly, Capped at $3,501) (Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)): $1,074 vs $1,440.

Chicago, IL vs Detroit, MI

Chicago, IL comes out ahead of Detroit, MI on 29 of 51 statistics where one end is better, to 22. Chicago, IL leads on Crime & Safety and Economics.

51 statistics with a better end, compared

Each counts once for the place that ranks better. Totals that mostly track population are left out.

Chicago, IL

Wins: 29
Avg. percentile: 36
Categories led: 2

Detroit, MI

Wins: 22
Avg. percentile: 32
Categories led: 0

At a glance

Headline statistics, each ranked among all US cities.

Statistic	Chicago, IL	Detroit, MI
Population	2,727,758 3rd of 477	650,499 25th of 477
Median Household IncomeHousing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)	$77,902 178th of 434	$39,938 426th of 434
Median Home Value (Capped at $2M)Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)	$334,100 228th of 434	$83,900 3rd of 434
Poverty Rate (%)Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)	16.8% 277th of 434	32.7% 428th of 434
Price Level (All Items)Cost of Living by City (Metro Price Parities)	103.6 tied 337th of 460	100.3 tied 256th of 460
Average Annual Wage, All JobsAverage Wage by City (Metro Area, BLS)	$73,380 tied 97th of 460	$69,210 tied 175th of 460
Median Rent (Monthly, Capped at $3,501)Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)	$1,440 242nd of 434	$1,074 109th of 434
Violent Crime Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by City (FBI)	420.4 223rd of 395	1,649.1 393rd of 395

By category

Average percentile on each category's widely ranked statistics.

Crime & SafetyChicago, IL · 5 statistics
EconomicsChicago, IL · 14 statistics

Biggest differences

The 19 statistics where their rankings differ most, among rankings of at least 239 US cities.

Statistic	Chicago, IL	Detroit, MI
Bachelor’s Degree or Higher (% of Adults 25+)Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)	44.3% 119th of 434	18.1% 400th of 434
Median Household IncomeHousing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)	$77,902 178th of 434	$39,938 426th of 434
Price Level (Utilities)Cost of Living by City (Metro Price Parities)	83.6 tied 91st of 460	107.0 tied 343rd of 460
Median Home Value (Capped at $2M)Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)	$334,100 228th of 434	$83,900 3rd of 434
Violent Crime Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by City (FBI)	420.4 223rd of 395	1,649.1 393rd of 395
Burglary Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by City (FBI)	227.7 207th of 395	630.2 375th of 395
Poverty Rate (%)Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)	16.8% 277th of 434	32.7% 428th of 434
Price Level (Goods)Cost of Living by City (Metro Price Parities)	107.3 tied 429th of 460	98.8 tied 277th of 460
Median Rent (Monthly, Capped at $3,501)Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)	$1,440 242nd of 434	$1,074 109th of 434
Average Commute (Minutes)Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)	33.1 414th of 434	24.8 283rd of 434
Price Level (All Items)Cost of Living by City (Metro Price Parities)	103.6 tied 337th of 460	100.3 tied 256th of 460
Homes with Broadband Internet (%)Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)	89.1% 320th of 434	85.7% 397th of 434
Price Level (Housing Rents)Cost of Living by City (Metro Price Parities)	112.0 tied 272nd of 460	94.7 tied 196th of 460
Average Annual Wage, All JobsAverage Wage by City (Metro Area, BLS)	$73,380 tied 97th of 460	$69,210 tied 175th of 460
Property Crime Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by City (FBI)	2,942.4 318th of 395	3,882.2 362nd of 395
Murder Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by City (FBI)	12.7 350th of 395	25.7 384th of 395
Price Level (Other Services)Cost of Living by City (Metro Price Parities)	100.5 tied 345th of 460	102.6 tied 381st of 460
Median Annual Wage, All JobsAverage Wage by City (Metro Area, BLS)	$54,720 tied 113th of 460	$52,080 tied 138th of 460
Motor Vehicle Theft Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by City (FBI)	663.9 372nd of 395	971.1 389th of 395

See every statistic they shareSearch and sort all of them, adjust for cost of living or population, or add up to two more places.

Quick answers

Which is better, Chicago, IL or Detroit, MI?: Chicago, IL comes out ahead of Detroit, MI on 29 of 51 statistics where one end is better, to 22. Chicago, IL leads on Crime & Safety and Economics. Statistics where neither end is better, and totals that mostly track population, are not counted.
Which has more people, Chicago, IL or Detroit, MI?: Chicago, IL has a population of 2,727,758 (3rd of 477 US cities) and Detroit, MI has 650,499 (25th of 477).
How do Chicago, IL and Detroit, MI compare on Median Household Income?: Median Household Income: Chicago, IL $77,902 (178th of 434), Detroit, MI $39,938 (426th of 434) among US cities. Chicago, IL ranks better.
How do Chicago, IL and Detroit, MI compare on Median Home Value (Capped at $2M)?: Median Home Value (Capped at $2M): Chicago, IL $334,100 (228th of 434), Detroit, MI $83,900 (3rd of 434) among US cities. Detroit, MI ranks better.
Where does Chicago, IL beat Detroit, MI most clearly?: Chicago, IL ranks far ahead on Bachelor’s Degree or Higher (% of Adults 25+) (Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)): 44.3% vs 18.1%; Median Household Income (Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)): $77,902 vs $39,938; Price Level (Utilities) (Cost of Living by City (Metro Price Parities)): 83.6 vs 107.0.
Where does Detroit, MI beat Chicago, IL most clearly?: Detroit, MI ranks far ahead on Median Home Value (Capped at $2M) (Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)): $83,900 vs $334,100; Price Level (Goods) (Cost of Living by City (Metro Price Parities)): 98.8 vs 107.3; Median Rent (Monthly, Capped at $3,501) (Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)): $1,074 vs $1,440.

More matchups

Other comparisons with Chicago, IL or Detroit, MI.

All US cities matchups