HEAD TO HEAD
Chicago vs Los Angeles
Chicago and Los Angeles split the factors 2–2 — it comes down to which ones you weight.
Chicago, IL
wins 2 of 5 factors
Los Angeles, CA
wins 2 of 5 factors
Match scores, side by side
| Factor | Chicago | Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| Affordable to buy | 87 ◆ | 44 |
| Affordable to rent | 52 ◆ | 27 |
| Climate comfort | 47 | 86 ◆ |
| Plenty of sunshine | 39 | 93 ◆ |
| Big-city amenities | 99 | 99 |
By the numbers
| Figure | Chicago | Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $354K | $969K |
| Typical rent | $2,266/mo | $2,909/mo |
| Average temperature | 9.8°C | 17.4°C |
| Sunshine (solar) | 3.84 kWh/m²/day | 5.65 kWh/m²/day |
| Metro size rank | #3 | #2 |
Home & rent Zillow, May 2026 · climate & sunshine NASA POWER climatology. Scores are normalised 0–100 across all metros; higher is better. A research aid, not advice.