Want to live and work in Chicago?

Living in Chicago costs more than the American average, but less than other metropolises of the same size. A one-bedroom apartment in the Loop, West Loop, or Lincoln Park is significantly more expensive than in neighborhoods like Albany Park, Rogers Park, or Pilsen, which still offer affordable options.

Illinois has a flat state income tax and a relatively heavy overall tax burden, especially on property tax. Sales tax in Chicago is one of the highest in the country, near 10.25% combining state, county, and city. Gas and heating bills in winter weigh on the budget.

In return, markets like Jewel-Osco, Mariano's, Costco, and ethnic markets on Devon Avenue or Argyle Street offer good variety at reasonable prices. Public transit eliminates the need for a car for many people, which helps the wallet compared to suburban cities.

Chicago is one of the most diverse job markets in the United States. The financial sector is huge, with exchanges like CME Group and CBOE, plus banks like JPMorgan and Northern Trust. Healthcare employs hundreds of thousands through networks like Northwestern Medicine, Rush University, University of Chicago Medicine, and Advocate Aurora Health.

Tech has grown significantly in the last decade: Google, Salesforce, Meta, and local companies like Grubhub, Tempus AI, and Discover Financial Services have major operations in the city. Manufacturing and logistics remain strong, with Boeing (HQ recently relocated), Caterpillar (in the surrounding area), and Union Pacific operating hubs.

For qualified immigrants, the market is strong in engineering, IT, finance, medicine, and science. H-1B and L-1 visas are common. Business English is practically mandatory for formal positions, but there is wide opportunity in field work, restaurants, and construction for those still developing the language.

The city is home to nationally renowned hospitals. Northwestern Memorial Hospital, in Streeterville, ranks among the best in the country. University of Chicago Medicine (in Hyde Park) is strong in research and oncology. Rush University Medical Center, Lurie Children's Hospital (pediatrics), and Northwestern Lurie Cancer Center are anchors.

Networks like Advocate Aurora Health, Amita Health, Loyola Medicine, and Sinai Chicago cover communities across the metropolitan region. For immigrants, there are community clinics (Federally Qualified Health Centers) that serve on a sliding-scale, like Erie Family Health Centers and Esperanza Health Centers, strong in Latino areas.

The system is private and insurance-based. An employer-sponsored plan is the normal route for those on a work visa. Uninsured patients end up using the ER and face heavy bills. The Illinois ACA marketplace (Get Covered Illinois) is an option for self-employed people and the temporarily unemployed.

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) operates the iconic elevated and underground rail system known as the L or El, with Red, Blue, Green, Brown, Orange, Pink, Purple, and Yellow lines. The system runs 24 hours on the Red and Blue lines, a rarity in the US. Buses cover the entire network.

For the suburbs, Metra operates 11 commuter rail lines departing from four downtown stations: Union Station, Ogilvie, LaSalle, and Millennium. Residents of Naperville, Aurora, or Joliet use Metra daily. Pace covers suburban buses.

O'Hare (ORD) is one of the largest aviation hubs in the world, with direct flights to Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Midway (MDW) is smaller and focused on Southwest domestic flights. The Blue Line connects ORD to downtown in about 45 minutes, and the Orange Line does the same for MDW.

The city is legendary in blues (Chess Records, Buddy Guy's Legends), jazz (Green Mill Lounge), and house music (the genre was born here in the 1980s). Festivals like Lollapalooza, Pitchfork, Chicago Blues Festival, and Taste of Chicago draw crowds at Grant Park and beyond. The Symphony Center and Lyric Opera complete the classical circuit.

Food is part of the identity: deep-dish pizza (Lou Malnati's, Pequod's), Italian beef, Chicago-style hot dog, meat pies, Polish food in Avondale, taquerias in Pilsen and Little Village, Indian restaurants on Devon Avenue. Award-winning restaurants like Alinea, Smyth, and Oriole draw foodies from around the world.

Museums: Art Institute of Chicago, Field Museum, Museum of Science and Industry, Adler Planetarium, Shedd Aquarium. Architecture is practically a local sport, with Chicago River tours explaining the history since the post-1871 fire rebuilding. Sports: Cubs, White Sox, Bulls, Bears, and Blackhawks define neighborhood identities.

Chicago was built by European immigrants in the late 19th century and today around 21 percent of residents were born outside the United States. The largest foreign-born community is Mexican, present since the 1910s, with epicenters in Pilsen, Little Village (La Villita) and Back of the Yards on the southwest side. Poles made Chicago the largest Polish city outside Poland in the 20th century and still concentrate in Avondale, Jefferson Park and Belmont Cragin, alongside Ukrainians in Ukrainian Village. Indians and Pakistanis shaped Devon Avenue in West Ridge, Chinese grew in Chinatown (Armour Square) and Bridgeport, and Filipinos have a strong presence in Albany Park, alongside Koreans and Assyrians. Ecuadorians and Guatemalans reinforced the Latino corridor in Albany Park and Rogers Park, and more recent arrivals from Venezuela came via bus from Texas.

The support network is coordinated by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR), with more than 100 affiliated organizations. The Resurrection Project works on housing, loans and citizenship on the southwest side, the Polish American Association covers the Eastern European community, the Chinese American Service League serves the Chinatown area, and the Pan-African Association helps African refugees. There is also Centro de Trabajadores Unidos on the south side and Erie Neighborhood House on the west side. Illinois is a sanctuary state and Chicago operates the Welcoming City program, with a municipal deportation defense fund. Nearly all major Latin American and European consulates maintain offices in the city.