Is Chicago a Good Place to Live?

We think Chicago is a fantastic place to live. From its lake side location to its great food scene and cultural offerings, Chicago has captured many hearts over the years. In this article we dig more into the “numbers” side of Chicago and take a look at things like safety, employment, cost of living and education.

Crime in Chicago

Chicago does get occasional national attention for crime. However, recent reports have shown a decrease in murder rates and crime overall. Compared to 2012, crime rates have dropped 8 percent so far this year and crime is down 15 percent from 2011.

Employment in Chicago

There are a wide variety of employment options and six key industries are driving the job growth in the region. These include business and financial services, manufacturing, biotech, infotech, healthcare, and transportation/distribution. The largest public sector employees in the Chicago area include the Federal government, Chicago Public Schools, the City of Chicago, and Cook County. Large private sector employers in the Chicago area include Jewel Stores, United Parcel Service, AT&T, Wal-Mart and United Airlines.
The unemployment rate in the Chicago area is above in the national average. In March 2013, Chicago had an unemployment rate of 9.5 percent, which is almost two percent higher than the national average of 7.5 percent.

Cost of Living

Chicago’s cost of living is just slightly higher than the national average. Chicago’s cost of living is 105 compared to a national average of 100. When compared to other large metropolitan areas, Chicago has a very reasonable cost of living.

Education and Schools

Chicago is rich with educational resources for all age groups. For public K-12 schools there are a variety of formats available, including charter schools. The Chicago Public Schools is the third largest school district in the United States with 472 elementary schools, 106 high schools and charter schools on 96 campuses. In addition to public schools, there are also several private and parochial schools for the K-12 level.
Higher education opportunities abound in the Chicago area and include undergraduate, graduate and professional programs. There are nearly 100 colleges and universities in the greater Chicago area, including community colleges, two-year technical schools, colleges, university and specialized schools. The University of Chicago at Hyde Park, a private university, was ranked #4 by US News and World Reports in their National University rankings.

Park and Recreation in Chicago

Chicago is in the top ten when it comes to parkland density by population in the United States. Lincoln Park is the city’s largest park and attracts many local and visitors alike. It is right behind New York’s Central Park when it comes to number of visitors per year. According to the Chicago Park District, there are over 8,100 acres of green space in the city with 580 parks, over 75 pools, 26 miles of lakefront, swimming beaches and more. With such an extensive network of green spaces and facilities, residents in Chicago have plenty of park and recreation opportunities.