Tool
Compare places
Put up to four U.S. cities, towns or census-designated places side by side on 29 figures: 22 measures from the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, each with its margin, and their 2025 population estimate, growth, density, new homes and housing costs against income. A filled square marks a figure that differs from the first place by more than both margins of error allow; without it, the survey cannot tell the two apart.
How do the four largest U.S. cities compare?
An example: the four places with the most residents on July 1, 2025 (first table); the survey figures below are five-year averages for 2020-2024. Change the names above to compare any others.
| Figure | New York, NY | Los Angeles, CA | Chicago, IL | Houston, TX |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents, July 2025 (estimate) | 8,584,629 | 3,869,089 | 2,731,585 | 2,397,315 |
| Change since April 2020 | −2.5% | −0.8% | −0.6% | +4.2% |
| Residents counted in the 2020 Census | 8,804,190 | 3,898,747 | 2,746,388 | 2,304,580 |
| Residents per square mile (2020) | 29,303 | 8,286 | 12,059 | 3,597 |
| Homes permitted in 2025 per 1,000 residents | 2.3 | 2.9 | 1.4 | 5.0 |
| Median home value ÷ median household income | 9.7 years of income | 11.2 years of income | 4.3 years of income | 4.3 years of income |
| A year of median rent ÷ median income of all households (renters usually earn less) | 27.2% | 28.3% | 22.2% | 25.2% |
| Measure | New York, NY | Los Angeles, CA | Chicago, IL | Houston, TX |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 8,483,844 | 3,857,263 ■±151 | 2,711,226 ■±63 | 2,328,253 ■±196 |
| Median age | 38.2±0.1 | 37.2 ■±0.2 | 35.8 ■±0.1 | 34.4 ■±0.2 |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 28.5% | 47.2% ■±0.2 pts | 29.7% ■±0.2 pts | 44.2% ■±0.4 pts |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 31.0%±0.1 pts | 28.1% ■±0.2 pts | 32.1% ■±0.2 pts | 23.2% ■±0.3 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 20.4%±0.1 pts | 8.1% ■±0.1 pts | 27.4% ■±0.2 pts | 22.3% ■±0.4 pts |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 14.6%±0.1 pts | 11.9% ■±0.1 pts | 7.2% ■±0.2 pts | 6.9% ■±0.2 pts |
| Born outside the United States | 36.6%±0.2 pts | 35.7% ■±0.3 pts | 20.9% ■±0.3 pts | 29.3% ■±0.4 pts |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 41.6%±0.2 pts | 38.5% ■±0.3 pts | 44.3% ■±0.4 pts | 36.6% ■±0.4 pts |
| Median household income | $80,483±$601 | $81,939 ■±$742 | $77,902 ■±$907 | $64,813 ■±$822 |
| Per capita income | $51,844±$373 | $47,685 ■±$374 | $50,086 ■±$581 | $42,430 ■±$513 |
| People below the poverty line | 17.9%±0.2 pts | 16.5% ■±0.3 pts | 16.8% ■±0.4 pts | 19.9% ■±0.4 pts |
| Unemployment rate | 8.0%±0.1 pts | 8.2%±0.2 pts | 8.0%±0.2 pts | 6.9% ■±0.2 pts |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $777,600±$4,889 | $921,200 ■±$4,782 | $334,100 ■±$2,424 | $277,800 ■±$3,403 |
| Median gross rent | $1,821±$7 | $1,933 ■±$9 | $1,440 ■±$10 | $1,361 ■±$8 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 43.5%±0.3 pts | 50.0% ■±0.5 pts | 39.3% ■±0.7 pts | 44.5% ■±0.7 pts |
| Owner-occupied homes | 32.8%±0.3 pts | 36.0% ■±0.3 pts | 46.0% ■±0.4 pts | 42.1% ■±0.5 pts |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.7%±0.1 pts | 1.3% ■±0.1 pts | 0.8%±0.1 pts | 2.4% ■±0.2 pts |
| Worked from home | 16.9%±0.2 pts | 19.5% ■±0.2 pts | 21.0% ■±0.4 pts | 13.0% ■±0.3 pts |
| Drove alone to work | 21.6%±0.2 pts | 59.8% ■±0.3 pts | 44.7% ■±0.4 pts | 67.7% ■±0.4 pts |
| Public transportation | 44.0%±0.3 pts | 6.1% ■±0.2 pts | 17.7% ■±0.4 pts | 3.2% ■±0.2 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 40.3 min±0.1 | 30.7 min ■±0.2 | 33.1 min ■±0.2 | 27.2 min ■±0.2 |
| No health insurance coverage | 6.3%±0.1 pts | 9.5% ■±0.2 pts | 9.8% ■±0.2 pts | 23.7% ■±0.4 pts |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census Bureau population estimates, Vintage 2025; 2020 Census; Building Permits Survey 2025 · Check it at data.census.gov