Chicago, IL — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Illinois·Chicago

Cook County · Chicago-Naperville-Elgin · population 2,721,308

Big-city amenities
Chicago, IL
Image: Wikipedia · Chicago
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
63
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Chicago stands

At or near all-time high. rents up 6.3% in the last year.

Median home $324,183
1-year +3.1%
5-yr CAGR +2.3%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population -0.2%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$324k$215k$256k$296k$337k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
86/100
Walker's paradise
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
88/100
Excellent transit
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
65/100
Strong remote-work fit
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$2,350/mo$1,600$2,046$2,491202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent112138100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 11.5
Buy

At a 11.5 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in Chicago on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 11.5 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
66 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
49 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
42 · w16%
Rent YoY
85 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
50 · w10%
Long thesis

Chicago has held up across the cycle: home values at $324,183 with +2.3% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Chicago's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Chicago

Chicago is a city in Cook County, Illinois, with an estimated population of 2,721,308. It anchors the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro area. The median home value in Chicago is $324,183 as of 2026-04, up 3.1% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +2.3% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Chicago average $2,350 per month, up 6.3% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 63 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Quiet strength: +3.1% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.
●Hot rental market: rents up 6.3% YoY — landlords have pricing power, supports new investment math.
○Scale = optionality: 2,721,308 population gives you airports, hospitals, a deep job market, and a real cultural scene.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Chicago (Wikipedia)

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 seat of Cook County, the second-most populous county in the U.S.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorBrandon Johnson (D)
Area234.53 sq mi
Elevation597.18 ft
Density12059.84/sq mi
Time zoneCST

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Things to see in Chicago(Tourism)

  • Chicago River
  • Lake Michigan
  • Walk Score
  • Soldier Field
  • Streeterville

Extracted from the Wikipedia article. Names linked in the source — open the city’s Wikipedia page for details.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Cook County right now.

NWS active alerts (IL)Illinois Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Cook County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Chicago

174 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Ravenswood Manor$912,483+15.3%
2North Center$764,746+6.7%
3South East Ravenswood$716,465+9.5%
4Wicker Park$708,419+5.8%
5East Ukrainian Village$683,531+5.8%
6Roscoe Village$683,322+7.8%
7Bucktown$650,725+3.1%
8Lincoln Park$645,294+6.8%
9Bowmanville$624,847+8.9%
10Sauganash$622,346+6.9%
11Noble Square$620,581+6.8%
12Jackson Park Highlands$619,508+5.5%
13Wrigleyville$616,472+8.0%
14Edgebrook$610,162+6.8%
15Wildwood$601,213+4.8%
16West Town$600,054+2.1%
17Andersonville$594,909+8.3%
18Graceland West$585,590+5.7%
19Ravenswood Gardens$577,516+2.6%
20Old Norwood Park$566,833+7.8%
21Ukrainian Village$566,650+6.1%
22Logan Square$535,894+7.1%
23Peterson Park$528,128+4.5%
24Forest Glen$527,455+10.3%

See the full neighborhood ranking →

Cities like Chicago

Cicero, IL67 · RisingQuincy, IL66 · RisingMoline, IL64 · RisingRock Island, IL57 · Stable

Run the numbers for Chicago

ToolCan I afford Chicago?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Chicago rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Chicago to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolChicago cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
33° / 18°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
85° / 64°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
189
~52% of year
Annual precip
38″ rain
22″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
High
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Low
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Chicago listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
71%
Humid climate
Median household income
$78,400
Illinois state median
Top industries (state-level)
FinanceManufacturingHealthcare

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

Cities similar to Chicago

Explore other places with comparable momentum or affordability.

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