Climate
Chicago logs 92 frost days a year to El Paso's 25 — El Paso wins by 67. Chicago also leads on hot days by 130.
Chicago
Feels-like °C
Dinner outside
El Paso
Feels-like °C
Dinner outside
Cost of Living
Chicago averages $3,665/mo for balanced living; El Paso has no cost baseline yet.
Chicago
$3,665monthly · balanced
Mobility
Chicago scores 3.4 on mobility (0–5 scale); El Paso has no mobility baseline.
Culture
Chicago's culture score of 4.4 sits well above El Paso's 0.0.
Nature & Outdoors
Chicago scores 3.5 on nature & outdoors (0–5 scale); El Paso has no nature & outdoors baseline.
Safety
Chicago scores 2.5 on safety (0–5 scale); El Paso has no safety baseline.
Career
Chicago scores 4.7 on career (0–5 scale); El Paso has no career baseline.
Social & Community
Chicago scores 4.0 on social & community (0–5 scale); El Paso has no social & community baseline.
Food & Dining
Chicago scores 4.6 on food & dining (0–5 scale); El Paso has no food & dining baseline.
Family
Chicago scores 4.0 on family (0–5 scale); El Paso has no family baseline.
Healthcare
Chicago scores 2.8 on healthcare (0–5 scale); El Paso has no healthcare baseline.
Air Quality
Chicago averages 8.5 µg/m³ (good) PM2.5 annually versus El Paso's 7.9 µg/m³ (good) — El Paso breathes ~7% cleaner air (0.6 µg/m³ lower).
Chicago
El Paso
PM2.5 annual average
WHO classification
City Scale
Both maps at the same real-world scale — 1 cm on either map is the same distance.
Chicago (5.3M) and El Paso (639K) are 8.3x in population — Chicago is the larger metro, El Paso the smaller; on land area Chicago spans roughly 7.1x more ground.
Chicago is roughly 7.7x the scale of El Paso
Combined population & area comparison
ChicagoEl PasoCity Scale Rankings
Chicago5.3M8.3xEl Paso639K1xChicago2,046 km²7.1xEl Paso289 km²1xChicago
El Paso
Who Thrives Here
Chicago favours the english speaker, while El Paso suits the sunshine lover. Both cities work well for the clean air seeker.
Also compared
Frequently asked about Chicago vs El Paso
▶Which is cheaper, Chicago or El Paso?
▶How does the climate compare between Chicago and El Paso?
▶Is Chicago or El Paso safer?
▶Should I move to Chicago or El Paso?
The best city depends on what matters to you
This comparison shows how Chicago and El Paso stack up on the data. But your climate preferences, budget, career needs, and lifestyle priorities can shift the picture entirely. A personalized diagnostic finds what fits your life.
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