Brooklyn Park vs Chicago
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $334,100 in Chicago and $336,200 in Brooklyn Park.
- Households earn more in Brooklyn Park ($89,891 vs $77,902 median).
- Chicago has the warmer winter: January highs of 33°F vs 24°F.
- Brooklyn Park gets far more snow: 51 inches a year vs 39.
- Chicago is growing faster: -0.6% since 2020 vs -3.4%.
- Commutes are shorter in Brooklyn Park (21 vs 33 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Brooklyn Park, MN | Chicago, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 83,543 | 2,731,585 |
| Growth since 2020 | -3.4% | -0.6% |
| People per square mile | 3,204 | 11,994 |
| Median age | 35.2 | 35.8 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33% | 44% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $89,891 | $77,902 |
| Median home value | $336,200 | $334,100 |
| Home value to income | 3.7× | 4.3× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,325 | $1,440 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 104.8 | 103.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 111.8 | 112.0 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $78,600 | $77,700 |
| Homeowners | 70% | 46% |
| Top state income tax | 9.85% | 4.95% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.14% | 8.98% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 21.3 | 33.1 |
| Work from home | 15% | 21% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 18% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4% | 8% |
| Poverty rate | 9.5% | 16.8% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 24° / 9° | 33° / 19° |
| July high / low | 83° / 65° | 85° / 68° |
| Precipitation per year | 32 in | 34 in |
| Snowfall per year | 51 in | 39 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 13 | 20 |
| Nights below freezing | 147 | 106 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 6 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Very High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 98.3 | 100.0 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 55% | 30% |
| Home prices, past year | +2.6% | +6.2% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +27.3% | +45.5% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Brooklyn Park: May and July to September. Chicago: May to October.
Full monthly tables: Brooklyn Park weather by month and Chicago weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $78,600 in Brooklyn Park and $77,700 in Chicago. Moving from Brooklyn Park to Chicago, you would need about $74,100 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Brooklyn Park and Chicago
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Brooklyn Park and Chicago.
Which would you pick?
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