Climate
Chicago logs 92 frost days a year to Memphis's 30 — Memphis wins by 62. Chicago also leads on hot days by 70.
Chicago
Feels-like °C
Dinner outside
Memphis
Feels-like °C
Dinner outside
Cost of Living
Chicago averages $3,665/mo for balanced living; Memphis has no cost baseline yet.
Chicago
$3,665monthly · balanced
Mobility
Chicago scores 3.4 on mobility (0–5 scale); Memphis has no mobility baseline.
Culture
Chicago's culture score of 4.4 sits well above Memphis's 0.0.
Nature & Outdoors
Chicago scores 3.5 on nature & outdoors (0–5 scale); Memphis has no nature & outdoors baseline.
Safety
Chicago scores 2.5 on safety (0–5 scale); Memphis has no safety baseline.
Career
Chicago scores 4.7 on career (0–5 scale); Memphis has no career baseline.
Social & Community
Chicago scores 4.0 on social & community (0–5 scale); Memphis has no social & community baseline.
Food & Dining
Chicago scores 4.6 on food & dining (0–5 scale); Memphis has no food & dining baseline.
Family
Chicago scores 4.0 on family (0–5 scale); Memphis has no family baseline.
Healthcare
Chicago scores 2.8 on healthcare (0–5 scale); Memphis has no healthcare baseline.
Air Quality
Chicago averages 8.5 µg/m³ (good) PM2.5 annually versus Memphis's 8.1 µg/m³ (good) — Memphis breathes ~6% cleaner air (0.5 µg/m³ lower).
Chicago
Memphis
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 Memphis (402K) are 13x in population — Chicago is the larger metro, Memphis the smaller; on land area Chicago spans roughly 7.5x more ground.
Chicago is roughly 9.9x the scale of Memphis
Combined population & area comparison
ChicagoMemphisCity Scale Rankings
Chicago5.3M13xMemphis402K1xChicago2,046 km²7.5xMemphis274 km²1xChicago
Memphis
Who Thrives Here
Chicago favours the english speaker, while Memphis suits the winter escapist. Both cities work well for the clean air seeker.
Also compared
Frequently asked about Chicago vs Memphis
▶Which is cheaper, Chicago or Memphis?
▶How does the climate compare between Chicago and Memphis?
▶Is Chicago or Memphis safer?
▶Should I move to Chicago or Memphis?
The best city depends on what matters to you
This comparison shows how Chicago and Memphis 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.
Take the free diagnostic10 minutes, no account needed