<\/span>Quick Facts about Chicago:<\/span><\/h5>\n\n- Chicago spans 227 mi\u00b2 and ranks 23th<\/sup> among US cities according to land area<\/em><\/li>\n
- Chicago is the third-most populous city in the US, after New York and Los Angeles<\/em><\/li>\n
- Worldwide, Chicago ranks 114th<\/sup> based on population<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
If you’re considering making Chicago your new home, read on to find out how big the Windy City really is and a few more interesting things about what makes it so special<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/span>Which Cities Can Fit Inside Chicago?<\/span><\/h2>\nAs we’re experts in self-storage, we couldn\u2019t help but wonder how many cities Chicago would be able to contain if it were a huuuge storage unit<\/a>.\u00a0Using US Census data<\/a>, we looked at several US cities that are either smaller in size or comparable to Chicago, in order to get a feeling about its true size. Let\u2019s see how the Windy City stacks up against other cities in the US<\/strong> in terms of area surface:<\/p>\n\n- Washington, DC (61 <\/strong>mi\u00b2)<\/strong>, Portland, OR (133 <\/strong>mi\u00b2),<\/strong> and Boston, MA (48 <\/strong>mi\u00b2)<\/strong> = 242 <\/strong>mi\u00b2<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
If these three cities teamed up, their combined area would add up to 242 mi\u00b2 \u2013 a little over the 227 mi\u00b2 mark encompassed by Chicago\u2019s city limits.<\/p>\n
![\"Chicago](\"https:\/\/www.storagecafe.com\/blog\/storagecafe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2020\/03\/Chicago-vs-Portland-Boston-WashingtonDC.png\")
<\/p>\n
Now we know these three cities can fit within Chicago\u2019s great expanse, imagine seeing Capitol Hill, Portland\u2019s famous rose gardens and Boston\u2019s Paul Revere House all brought together in one city, none other than Chicago. That would make quite a city, don\u2019t you think?<\/p>\n
\n- Seattle, WA (83<\/strong> mi\u00b2)<\/strong>, Baltimore, MD (80 <\/strong>mi\u00b2)<\/strong>, and Madison, WI (76.7 <\/strong>mi\u00b2) = <\/strong>240 <\/strong>mi\u00b2<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Taken together, these three cities yield about 240 mi\u00b2, which is a little more than Chicago\u2019s vast area. Think about Seattle\u2019s famous Space Needle, Baltimore\u2019s Top of the World Observation Level or Wisconsin\u2019s State Capitol in Madison<\/a>. All these iconic landmarks and more could easily fit within Chicago\u2019s city limits.<\/p>\n\n- Las Vegas, NV (135<\/strong> mi\u00b2), San Francisco, CA (46 mi\u00b2) and South Bend, IN (41 mi\u00b2) = 222<\/strong> mi\u00b2<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
In this case, you\u2019d have all the Las Vegas\u2019 Strip laden with its incredible sights and San Francisco\u2019s iconic Golden Gate Bridge under the Chicago sky. Along with these famous cities, South Bend, IN \u2013 former mayor Pete Buttigieg\u2019s city \u2013 with its National Studebaker Museum and Notre Dame University, could also fit within Chicago\u2019s city limits. If relocating these cities would be a feasible feat, all three could find a place in Chicago\u2019s space as their total area is 222 mi\u00b2, just a little smaller than the 227 mi\u00b2 that Chicago encompasses.<\/p>\n
\n- Atlanta, GA (133<\/strong> mi\u00b2) and Milwaukee, WI (96 mi\u00b2) = 229 mi\u00b2<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
How could we bring southern hospitality and midwestern charm together? It\u2019s certainly a lovely idea! It\u2019s quite easy, really. Bring these two cities together and you have the approximate size of Chicago, as the sum of their areas equals 229 mi\u00b2. Imagine Atlanta\u2019s History Center and Milwaukee\u2019s Mitchell Park Domes gracing the streets of Chicago. It\u2019s never going to happen, but the necessary space is there!<\/p>\n
<\/span>How Many Countries Can Fit inside Chicago?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n- Vatican City (0.17<\/strong> mi\u00b2), Monaco (0.78 mi\u00b2), San Marino (24 mi\u00b2), Malta (122 mi\u00b2), Marshall Islands (70 mi\u00b2) = 217 mi\u00b2<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
If you take some of the smallest countries in Europe and even the island country of the Marshall Islands<\/a> and slot them into Chicago\u2019s area (227 mi\u00b2), you\u2019d still have a little free space left.<\/p>\n![\"Size](\"https:\/\/www.storagecafe.com\/blog\/storagecafe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2020\/03\/Chicago-vs-Countries.png\")
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Both Vatican City<\/a> and Monaco<\/a> are unique in that they are both cities and countries at the same time. While Vatican City is an enclave in Rome, and home to sacred places of Roman Catholicism, Monaco is a sovereign principality in the resort area of the C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur. Not unlike Vatican City, San Marino<\/a> is also situated in Italy and holds the records for being both the smallest and the oldest constitutional republic in world. On the other side of the world, you\u2019d have to pass Hawaii in order to reach the Marshall Islands, a country in the Pacific Ocean consisting of more than 1,000 islands, and which is also an associated state of the USA.<\/p>\n\n- Liechtenstein (62<\/strong> mi\u00b2) and Seychelles (175 mi\u00b2) = 237 mi\u00b2<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
If you take Liechtenstein<\/a>, the sixth-smallest country in the world, and the Seychelles<\/a> together, they would cover the approximate area of the city of Chicago. While Liechtenstein lies in the heart of Alps, and neighbors Austria and Switzerland, the Seychelles is an archipelagic island country in the Indian Ocean with the smallest population of any sovereign African country.<\/p>\n\n- Saint Lucia (238<\/strong> mi\u00b2)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
All on its own, Saint Lucia<\/a> is about the size of Chicago in terms of square footage. Imagine bringing this tropical oasis to the shores of Lake Michigan! Located in the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean Sea, the island is the only sovereign nation to bear the name of a woman. With Barbados to the southeast, Martinique to the north and Saint Vincent to the south, the island is most certainly an exotic vacation destination.<\/p>\n<\/span>And Why Not Dream a Bit: Which Game of Thrones Cities Can Fit Inside Chicago?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n- Volantis (99<\/strong> mi\u00b2), <\/strong>King\u2019s Landing (33 <\/strong>mi\u00b2), Oldtown (33 mi\u00b2) and Lannisport (16 mi\u00b2) = 181 mi\u00b2<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
What if we moved some of the fictional cities of this legendary series to Chicago? Would the Windy City provide sufficient room for all the battles, plotting, and drama that attracted 10 million viewers to HBO in 2019? Game of Thrones fans in Chicago should be pleased to know that the city would be able to house some of the cities in Westeros. Volantis, King\u2019s Landing, Oldtown and Lannisport could all roughly fit within the city limits \u2013 and for House of Winterfell fans\u00a0there’s also room for\u00a0a little bit of the North.<\/p>\n
![\"Game](\"https:\/\/www.storagecafe.com\/blog\/storagecafe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2020\/03\/02-Chicago-GOT.png\")
<\/p>\n
Imagine Volantis\u2019 old-timey charm bringing the Valyrian spirit alive on the shores of Lake Michigan. Or, perhaps that\u2019s a more fitting spot for the endless intrigues around the Iron Throne that only King\u2019s Landing can inspire. Or you could catch a nugget of wisdom from the Maesters in Oldtown before heading to Lannisport. A word of caution, though: A Lannister always pays his debts.<\/p>\n
<\/span>Where Does Chicago Shine?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n- Housing in Chicago More Affordable Than in New York and Los Angeles<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
More Americans in Chicago live in multi-family units (70%)<\/strong> than in single-family units (30%). As home ownership hovers nationally at around 65%, Chicago\u2019s is about 45%. While this value is lower than the national average, home ownership in Chicago is still higher than in other large American cities<\/strong>. Take, for instance, New York City and Los Angeles, where homeownership rates are roughly at 32% and 36%, respectively. Boston is the middle child, with 34% of residents claiming home ownership. On the other hand, Washington DC seems to inch closer to Chicago as 42% of residents own a home there.<\/p>\nAdditionally, the median value of a home with a mortgage in Chicago is about $245,000<\/strong>, according to Point2Homes data<\/a>.<\/em> In other big cities, prices are a lot steeper than here. Take Manhattan, for instance, where buying a home could cost you an arm and a leg, with the median value of a home with a mortgage of about $969,950. San Francisco is not too far behind, as the median value of a home with a mortgage there rises to $943,700. Not unlike the other big cities we\u2019ve looked at, both Los Angeles\u2019 and Boston\u2019s residents pay a premium on mortgaged homes, with averages valued at $555,600 and $453,600.00, respectively. However, it seems that Washington DC\u2019s median value of a home with a mortgage comes close to the Chicago rates, but still a little higher at $289,200.<\/p>\nRenting in Chicago<\/a> is still an attractive housing option, especially for younger residents, who are less likely to form households at their stage of life. Currently, 55% of Chicago residents are renters<\/strong>, which is pretty high, but compared to other large cities such as New York City and Los Angeles, Chicago\u2019s percentage of renters is a lot lower. A whopping 67% of New Yorkers rent, whereas Los Angeles and San Francisco don\u2019t fall too much behind the Big Apple. While in Los Angeles renters make up 64% of the population, 62% of San Francisco residents put their names on an apartment lease. Meanwhile, Boston closely follows New York, with 66% of residents renting. In Washington DC, however, we see just a few more renters than in Chicago \u2013 58% rent, which makes the two cities similar in this regard.<\/p>\nWhile the average rent in Chicago ($1,947) is higher than the national rates, it is still more affordable than what other comparable cities offer. When you set Chicago\u2019s average rent side-by-side with Manhattan ($4,211), San Francisco ($3,688) or Los Angeles ($2,546), it becomes obvious that they can\u2019t hold a candle to Chicago. The average rent in Boston ($3,438) is almost as high as San Francisco\u2019s, while Washington, DC is not far behind Los Angeles, with a monthly average rent of $2,236.<\/p>\n
\n- Legal and Management Jobs Bring Home the Fattest Paychecks in Chicago <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
As the third most-populous city in the US, Chicago offers a diverse job market, with 1.37 million jobs currently offered, marking a 1.27% increase from the previous year<\/strong>. That is an impressive number, when you consider that it covers more than half of the city\u2019s population. If you live in Chicago or if you are looking to relocate there, it is very likely there is a job opening for you, should you consider an employment change.<\/p>\nThe entire Chicago metro area employs about 4,650,000 people, according to the Bureau of Labor Services data<\/a>. In November 2019, the metro area saw 24,000 new jobs added as compared to the previous year, a 0.6% y-o-y increase.<\/p>\nIn terms of job growth, education and health services reported the highest employment gain for the last year, with 15,600 new jobs added.<\/p>\n
The largest number of jobs is snagged by office and administrative support occupations<\/strong> with 685,950 employees, representing 14.78% of the total number of employees. Their average earnings are about $40,380. Next in line are sales and related occupations (459,490 employees), making up 9.9% of the metro population in employment. The average income for this occupation is $44,850 per year.<\/p>\nLegal<\/strong> (42,140 employees) and management occupations<\/strong> (364,240 employees) bring home the most substantial paychecks<\/strong> with $125,550 per year and $121,050 per year, respectively. They are followed by computer and mathematical occupations ($89,130 per year) and architecture and engineering occupations ($84,130) employing 147,310 persons and 66,290 persons, respectively.<\/p>\n\n- Improved Public Transit Takes the Wheel <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Chicago is not half bad if you are considering the commute time, currently at about 43 minutes. In fact, it\u2019s pretty good. Even though driving is the preferred mode of transportation, Chicago boasts a well-rounded infrastructure system<\/strong>. It\u2019s not surprising that public transit has been gaining traction in Chicago, ranking fifth among the 30 most populous US cities using public transit, according to a report we released in 2019 on public transit in major US cities<\/a>. The Windy City\u2019s high score is due greatly to a difference between car and public transit commutes of about 10 minutes. About 38,900 more people are now using public transit to get to work.<\/p>\n
If you’re considering making Chicago your new home, read on to find out how big the Windy City really is and a few more interesting things about what makes it so special<\/strong>.<\/p>\n As we’re experts in self-storage, we couldn\u2019t help but wonder how many cities Chicago would be able to contain if it were a huuuge storage unit<\/a>.\u00a0Using US Census data<\/a>, we looked at several US cities that are either smaller in size or comparable to Chicago, in order to get a feeling about its true size. Let\u2019s see how the Windy City stacks up against other cities in the US<\/strong> in terms of area surface:<\/p>\n If these three cities teamed up, their combined area would add up to 242 mi\u00b2 \u2013 a little over the 227 mi\u00b2 mark encompassed by Chicago\u2019s city limits.<\/p>\n Now we know these three cities can fit within Chicago\u2019s great expanse, imagine seeing Capitol Hill, Portland\u2019s famous rose gardens and Boston\u2019s Paul Revere House all brought together in one city, none other than Chicago. That would make quite a city, don\u2019t you think?<\/p>\n Taken together, these three cities yield about 240 mi\u00b2, which is a little more than Chicago\u2019s vast area. Think about Seattle\u2019s famous Space Needle, Baltimore\u2019s Top of the World Observation Level or Wisconsin\u2019s State Capitol in Madison<\/a>. All these iconic landmarks and more could easily fit within Chicago\u2019s city limits.<\/p>\n In this case, you\u2019d have all the Las Vegas\u2019 Strip laden with its incredible sights and San Francisco\u2019s iconic Golden Gate Bridge under the Chicago sky. Along with these famous cities, South Bend, IN \u2013 former mayor Pete Buttigieg\u2019s city \u2013 with its National Studebaker Museum and Notre Dame University, could also fit within Chicago\u2019s city limits. If relocating these cities would be a feasible feat, all three could find a place in Chicago\u2019s space as their total area is 222 mi\u00b2, just a little smaller than the 227 mi\u00b2 that Chicago encompasses.<\/p>\n How could we bring southern hospitality and midwestern charm together? It\u2019s certainly a lovely idea! It\u2019s quite easy, really. Bring these two cities together and you have the approximate size of Chicago, as the sum of their areas equals 229 mi\u00b2. Imagine Atlanta\u2019s History Center and Milwaukee\u2019s Mitchell Park Domes gracing the streets of Chicago. It\u2019s never going to happen, but the necessary space is there!<\/p>\n If you take some of the smallest countries in Europe and even the island country of the Marshall Islands<\/a> and slot them into Chicago\u2019s area (227 mi\u00b2), you\u2019d still have a little free space left.<\/p>\n Both Vatican City<\/a> and Monaco<\/a> are unique in that they are both cities and countries at the same time. While Vatican City is an enclave in Rome, and home to sacred places of Roman Catholicism, Monaco is a sovereign principality in the resort area of the C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur. Not unlike Vatican City, San Marino<\/a> is also situated in Italy and holds the records for being both the smallest and the oldest constitutional republic in world. On the other side of the world, you\u2019d have to pass Hawaii in order to reach the Marshall Islands, a country in the Pacific Ocean consisting of more than 1,000 islands, and which is also an associated state of the USA.<\/p>\n If you take Liechtenstein<\/a>, the sixth-smallest country in the world, and the Seychelles<\/a> together, they would cover the approximate area of the city of Chicago. While Liechtenstein lies in the heart of Alps, and neighbors Austria and Switzerland, the Seychelles is an archipelagic island country in the Indian Ocean with the smallest population of any sovereign African country.<\/p>\n All on its own, Saint Lucia<\/a> is about the size of Chicago in terms of square footage. Imagine bringing this tropical oasis to the shores of Lake Michigan! Located in the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean Sea, the island is the only sovereign nation to bear the name of a woman. With Barbados to the southeast, Martinique to the north and Saint Vincent to the south, the island is most certainly an exotic vacation destination.<\/p>\n What if we moved some of the fictional cities of this legendary series to Chicago? Would the Windy City provide sufficient room for all the battles, plotting, and drama that attracted 10 million viewers to HBO in 2019? Game of Thrones fans in Chicago should be pleased to know that the city would be able to house some of the cities in Westeros. Volantis, King\u2019s Landing, Oldtown and Lannisport could all roughly fit within the city limits \u2013 and for House of Winterfell fans\u00a0there’s also room for\u00a0a little bit of the North.<\/p>\n Imagine Volantis\u2019 old-timey charm bringing the Valyrian spirit alive on the shores of Lake Michigan. Or, perhaps that\u2019s a more fitting spot for the endless intrigues around the Iron Throne that only King\u2019s Landing can inspire. Or you could catch a nugget of wisdom from the Maesters in Oldtown before heading to Lannisport. A word of caution, though: A Lannister always pays his debts.<\/p>\n More Americans in Chicago live in multi-family units (70%)<\/strong> than in single-family units (30%). As home ownership hovers nationally at around 65%, Chicago\u2019s is about 45%. While this value is lower than the national average, home ownership in Chicago is still higher than in other large American cities<\/strong>. Take, for instance, New York City and Los Angeles, where homeownership rates are roughly at 32% and 36%, respectively. Boston is the middle child, with 34% of residents claiming home ownership. On the other hand, Washington DC seems to inch closer to Chicago as 42% of residents own a home there.<\/p>\n Additionally, the median value of a home with a mortgage in Chicago is about $245,000<\/strong>, according to Point2Homes data<\/a>.<\/em> In other big cities, prices are a lot steeper than here. Take Manhattan, for instance, where buying a home could cost you an arm and a leg, with the median value of a home with a mortgage of about $969,950. San Francisco is not too far behind, as the median value of a home with a mortgage there rises to $943,700. Not unlike the other big cities we\u2019ve looked at, both Los Angeles\u2019 and Boston\u2019s residents pay a premium on mortgaged homes, with averages valued at $555,600 and $453,600.00, respectively. However, it seems that Washington DC\u2019s median value of a home with a mortgage comes close to the Chicago rates, but still a little higher at $289,200.<\/p>\n Renting in Chicago<\/a> is still an attractive housing option, especially for younger residents, who are less likely to form households at their stage of life. Currently, 55% of Chicago residents are renters<\/strong>, which is pretty high, but compared to other large cities such as New York City and Los Angeles, Chicago\u2019s percentage of renters is a lot lower. A whopping 67% of New Yorkers rent, whereas Los Angeles and San Francisco don\u2019t fall too much behind the Big Apple. While in Los Angeles renters make up 64% of the population, 62% of San Francisco residents put their names on an apartment lease. Meanwhile, Boston closely follows New York, with 66% of residents renting. In Washington DC, however, we see just a few more renters than in Chicago \u2013 58% rent, which makes the two cities similar in this regard.<\/p>\n While the average rent in Chicago ($1,947) is higher than the national rates, it is still more affordable than what other comparable cities offer. When you set Chicago\u2019s average rent side-by-side with Manhattan ($4,211), San Francisco ($3,688) or Los Angeles ($2,546), it becomes obvious that they can\u2019t hold a candle to Chicago. The average rent in Boston ($3,438) is almost as high as San Francisco\u2019s, while Washington, DC is not far behind Los Angeles, with a monthly average rent of $2,236.<\/p>\n As the third most-populous city in the US, Chicago offers a diverse job market, with 1.37 million jobs currently offered, marking a 1.27% increase from the previous year<\/strong>. That is an impressive number, when you consider that it covers more than half of the city\u2019s population. If you live in Chicago or if you are looking to relocate there, it is very likely there is a job opening for you, should you consider an employment change.<\/p>\n The entire Chicago metro area employs about 4,650,000 people, according to the Bureau of Labor Services data<\/a>. In November 2019, the metro area saw 24,000 new jobs added as compared to the previous year, a 0.6% y-o-y increase.<\/p>\n In terms of job growth, education and health services reported the highest employment gain for the last year, with 15,600 new jobs added.<\/p>\n The largest number of jobs is snagged by office and administrative support occupations<\/strong> with 685,950 employees, representing 14.78% of the total number of employees. Their average earnings are about $40,380. Next in line are sales and related occupations (459,490 employees), making up 9.9% of the metro population in employment. The average income for this occupation is $44,850 per year.<\/p>\n Legal<\/strong> (42,140 employees) and management occupations<\/strong> (364,240 employees) bring home the most substantial paychecks<\/strong> with $125,550 per year and $121,050 per year, respectively. They are followed by computer and mathematical occupations ($89,130 per year) and architecture and engineering occupations ($84,130) employing 147,310 persons and 66,290 persons, respectively.<\/p>\n Chicago is not half bad if you are considering the commute time, currently at about 43 minutes. In fact, it\u2019s pretty good. Even though driving is the preferred mode of transportation, Chicago boasts a well-rounded infrastructure system<\/strong>. It\u2019s not surprising that public transit has been gaining traction in Chicago, ranking fifth among the 30 most populous US cities using public transit, according to a report we released in 2019 on public transit in major US cities<\/a>. The Windy City\u2019s high score is due greatly to a difference between car and public transit commutes of about 10 minutes. About 38,900 more people are now using public transit to get to work.<\/p>\n<\/span>Which Cities Can Fit Inside Chicago?<\/span><\/h2>\n
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<\/span>How Many Countries Can Fit inside Chicago?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
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<\/span>And Why Not Dream a Bit: Which Game of Thrones Cities Can Fit Inside Chicago?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\n<\/span>Where Does Chicago Shine?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
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