Chicago vs Denver
The short version
- Chicago is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 2% lower than in the Denver area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $334,100 in Chicago and $616,000 in Denver.
- Households earn more in Denver ($94,718 vs $77,902 median).
- Denver has the warmer winter: January highs of 47°F vs 33°F.
- Denver gets far more snow: 49 inches a year vs 39.
- Denver has more scorching days: 42 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 20.
- Denver is growing faster: +3.5% since 2020 vs -0.6%.
- Commutes are shorter in Denver (25 vs 33 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Chicago, IL | Denver, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 2,731,585 | 740,613 |
| Growth since 2020 | -0.6% | +3.5% |
| People per square mile | 11,994 | 4,838 |
| Median age | 35.8 | 35.3 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 44% | 57% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $77,902 | $94,718 |
| Median home value | $334,100 | $616,000 |
| Home value to income | 4.3× | 6.5× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,440 | $1,831 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 103.6 | 105.8 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 112.0 | 146.9 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $77,700 | $79,300 |
| Homeowners | 46% | 49% |
| Top state income tax | 4.95% | 4.4% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.98% | 7.89% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 33.1 | 24.9 |
| Work from home | 21% | 27% |
| Take public transit | 18% | 4% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 8% | 4.9% |
| Poverty rate | 16.8% | 11.2% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 33° / 19° | 47° / 18° |
| July high / low | 85° / 68° | 90° / 59° |
| Precipitation per year | 34 in | 15 in |
| Snowfall per year | 39 in | 49 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 20 | 42 |
| Nights below freezing | 106 | 156 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Very High | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 100.0 | 95.2 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 30% | 29% |
| Home prices, past year | +6.2% | -0.5% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +45.5% | +21.4% |
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: Chicago: May to October. Denver: May to June and September.
Full monthly tables: Chicago weather by month and Denver weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $77,700 in Chicago and $79,300 in Denver. Moving from Chicago to Denver, you would need about $76,600 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Chicago and Denver
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Chicago and Denver.
Which would you pick?
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