2027 MNM LIVABILITY INDEX

Chicago

Illinois (IL)

Best for: People who want true big-city culture, architecture and transit at a housing cost far below New York or coastal California.

2027 CITY CLASSMega City1 million+ residents

Modern Livability83.7/ 100

AT A GLANCE

Everyday numbers

Population2,731,585

Median Home$334,100

Median Rent$1,440

Median Household Income$77,902

Cost of Living~103.6 (US=100; 2024 metro/region)

Average Commute34.8 min

Unemployment~5.0% metro (2026)

Metro AreaChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI

2027 MODERN LIVABILITY SCORECARD

How this city actually lives

Twelve dimensions capture both hard data and the everyday experience traditional lists tend to miss.

83.7overall

Housing & Financial Reality72.0

Housing burden, taxes, insurance, utilities and what local incomes actually buy.

Ease of Living78.0

Errands, commute friction, parking, services and the effort required for daily life.

Safety & Stability60.0

Personal, neighborhood, road and environmental stability.

Economic Opportunity92.0

Jobs, wages, career mobility, employer diversity and economic resilience.

Health & Wellness88.0

Healthcare access, activity, mental wellness, healthy food and environmental health.

Beauty & Sense of Place95.0

Scenery, architecture, trees, cleanliness, public realm and distinct sense of place.

Mobility & Congestion95.0

Traffic delay, commute reliability, walking, cycling and transit usefulness.

Nature & Escape80.0

Trails, water, mountains, parks, public lands and how easily residents can escape.

Diversity & Belonging96.0

Diversity, integration, accessibility, newcomer friendliness and community connection.

Climate & Environment65.0

Comfortable weather, air quality, severe weather and environmental exposure.

Community & Culture100.0

Restaurants, arts, events, third places, recreation and social life.

Infrastructure & Connectivity92.0

Broadband, utilities, airport, highways, transit and essential connectivity.

THE THINGS OLD-SCHOOL LISTS MISS

What daily life feels like

Traffic / CongestionHigh on major expressways, but strong rail/transit makes car-free or car-light living realistic in many neighborhoods.

Weekend EscapeExcellent: Lake Michigan, beaches, forest preserves and Wisconsin/Michigan escapes are accessible.

WalkabilityAbout 77/100 citywide Walk Score. Walkability is a major strength and supports practical car-light living.

Airport AccessExceptional global connectivity through O'Hare and Midway, with direct rail access from central neighborhoods.

Outdoor AccessExcellent: Lake Michigan, beaches, the lakefront trail and a huge park/forest-preserve system support everyday recreation.

Healthcare AccessExcellent to exceptional. Major academic medical centers and large health systems provide deep specialty and emergency-care access.

Air QualityMixed. Large-metro emissions, seasonal weather and episodic smoke or ozone can affect air quality; conditions vary substantially by season and neighborhood.

Third Places / Social LifeExcellent. Restaurants, cafés, parks, libraries, cultural venues, sports, neighborhood districts and events provide abundant places to gather outside home and work.

EDITORIAL VIEW

More than a number

Trajectory: Improving

WHY IT STANDS OUT

Why we chose it

Chicago is included in the 2027 MNM Livability Index as the #3 most populous U.S. city in the Census Bureau's 2025 estimates. Its strongest livability advantages are architecture; food; culture; transit; lake michigan; housing value for a global city; jobs; universities, while the largest tradeoffs are crime disparities; winter; taxes; long regional commutes; uneven neighborhood investment.

REAL LIFE

What living here actually feels like

Chicago feels urban in the fullest sense: dense neighborhoods, public transit, lakefront parks, architecture and culture are woven into ordinary daily life.

STRENGTHS