US flag
Chicago

United States

vs
US flag
Flagstaff

United States

Climate

Chicago logs 198 sunny days a year to Flagstaff's 320 — Flagstaff wins by 122. Chicago also leads on frost days by 45.

ChicagoFlagstaff
Sunny days
198320
Hot days
1513
Frost days
92137
Rain days
11573
Snow days
1418
Outdoor dinner months
4/124/12
Avg wind
3.9 m/s2.5 m/s
Sunshine hours
2,2923,372
Darkest month sun
80 hrs/mo201 hrs/mo
UV peak month
7.710.6

Chicago

Feels-like °C

-9
-10
0
8
16
25
28
26
21
9
0
-7

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Flagstaff

Feels-like °C

-1
-1
2
10
16
24
26
25
21
13
4
-2

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Cost of Living

Chicago averages $3,665/mo for balanced living; Flagstaff has no cost baseline yet.

Chicago

$3,665

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $2,819Comfort $6,114
Top 73%in Among 45 US & Canada cities

Flagstaff

monthly · balanced

Mobility

Chicago scores 3.4 on mobility (0–5 scale); Flagstaff has no mobility baseline.

3.4/5
vs
/5
ChicagoFlagstaff
WalkabilityTransitCyclingFlights

Culture

Chicago's culture score of 4.4 sits well above Flagstaff's 0.0.

4.4/5
vs
0.0/5
ChicagoFlagstaff
ArtsHistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
Chicago leads

Nature & Outdoors

Chicago scores 3.5 on nature & outdoors (0–5 scale); Flagstaff has no nature & outdoors baseline.

3.5/5
vs
/5
ChicagoFlagstaff
ForestGreen AreasLakesRunningCamping

Safety

Chicago scores 2.5 on safety (0–5 scale); Flagstaff has no safety baseline.

2.5/5
vs
/5
ChicagoFlagstaff
Property Crime

Career

Chicago scores 4.7 on career (0–5 scale); Flagstaff has no career baseline.

4.7/5
vs
/5
ChicagoFlagstaff
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking

Social & Community

Chicago scores 4.0 on social & community (0–5 scale); Flagstaff has no social & community baseline.

4.0/5
vs
/5
ChicagoFlagstaff
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceUrban EnergyStreet AtmosphereLocal-First CommunityAdmin English Support

Food & Dining

Chicago scores 4.6 on food & dining (0–5 scale); Flagstaff has no food & dining baseline.

4.6/5
vs
/5
ChicagoFlagstaff
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery

Family

Chicago scores 4.0 on family (0–5 scale); Flagstaff has no family baseline.

4.0/5
vs
/5
ChicagoFlagstaff
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportPlaygroundsGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis

Healthcare

Chicago scores 2.8 on healthcare (0–5 scale); Flagstaff has no healthcare baseline.

2.8/5
vs
/5
ChicagoFlagstaff
Private Healthcare

Air Quality

Chicago averages 8.5 µg/m³ (good) PM2.5 annually versus Flagstaff's 4.8 µg/m³ (excellent) — Flagstaff breathes ~44% cleaner air (3.8 µg/m³ lower).

Chicago

Flagstaff

8.5µg/m³
4.8µg/m³

PM2.5 annual average

Good
Excellent

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 Flagstaff (70K) are 76x in population — Chicago is the larger metro, Flagstaff the smaller.

76x

Chicago is roughly 76x the scale of Flagstaff

Based on population (area data unavailable for some cities)

US flagChicago
76x
US flagFlagstaff
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.US flagChicago5.3M76x
2.US flagFlagstaff70K1x

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Chicago vs Flagstaff

Which is cheaper, Chicago or Flagstaff?
Chicago has an estimated monthly cost of $3,665.
How does the climate compare between Chicago and Flagstaff?
Sunny days: 198 vs 320 d — Flagstaff higher Annual sunshine: 2,292 vs 3,372 hrs — Flagstaff higher Winter sunshine: 80 vs 201 hrs/day — Flagstaff higher Hot days (>30°C): 15 vs 13 d — Similar Frost days: 92 vs 137 d — Chicago lower Rainy days: 115 vs 73 d — Flagstaff lower Snowy days: 14 vs 18 d — Chicago lower
Is Chicago or Flagstaff safer?
Chicago has a safety score of 2.5/5.
Should I move to Chicago or Flagstaff?
Chicago and Flagstaff are both popular relocation destinations with distinct characteristics. The best choice depends on your priorities — climate preferences, career opportunities, cost constraints, and lifestyle needs. Take the personalized quiz to find your ideal match, or explore the map to compare cities by region and lifestyle factors.

The best city depends on what matters to you

This comparison shows how Chicago and Flagstaff 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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