Chicago – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Chicago: how well does the “Windy City” perform in international rankings that study the competitiveness of cities in terms of attractiveness for talent, innovation, and business? Does Chicago have a chance at beating its national rivals New York and San Francisco? How well does it fare in terms of sustainability, city brand strength and reputation, according to leading rankings and indices?

Let’s take a closer look at:

• Economic competitiveness and financial performance
• City brand strength and global attractiveness
• Livability: how attractive for talent, visitors, locals?

Economic Competitiveness and Financial Performance

How attractive is Chicago as a place to work and do business? 

The Global Financial Centres Index 34 ranks Chicago 9^th, falling one position from the previous ranking. It is currently sitting between Washington D.C. (8^th) and Geneva (10^th). The city holds a strong standing in the following areas of competitiveness: Human Capital (11^th), Reputational & General (11^th), Financial Sector Development (15^th), and Business Environment (15^th). It also performs very well in the following industry sectors: Fintech (9th), Professional Services (12th), Government & Regulatory (13th), Finance (13^th), Trading (13^th), Investment Management (11^th), Banking (13^th).

Notably, Chicago holds the fifth place in the North American region, sitting right behind New York City.

According to 2thinknow’s Innovation Cities Index 2022-2023 Chicago ranks 12^th, a drop of three positions from the previous ranking. The city is now en par with Berlin (11^th) and Stockholm (13^th).

City Brand Strength and Reputation

Resonance’s 2023 World’s Best Cities Report ranks Chicago 16^th, scoring the following in the Place Power Highlights: 1^st in Walk Score, and 7^th in Airport Connectivity. It currently sits in between Los Angeles (15^th) and Washington DC (17^th).

Kearney’s 2023 Global Cities Report ranks it 11^th, falling four positions compared to last years’ publication. Chicago ranked 43^rd in the Global Cities Outlook, when last year it held the 53^rd position.

The Global Power City Index ranks Chicago 25^th. In terms of function-specific rankings, the city ranks 22^nd in terms of Economy, 8^th in R&D, 28^th in Cultural Interaction, 46^th in Livability, 34^th in Environment, and 15^th in Accessibility. Admirably, Chicago ranks 8^th in terms of most award winners in Science and Technology. Lastly, it positioned 27^th in the Highly-skilled Workers, 26^th in the Corporate executive, 40^th in the Resident and 33^rd in the Tourism categories.

In Brand Finance’s City Index 2023, Chicago ranks 15^th in the global ranking with a score of 72.2/100, sitting in between Rome (14^th) and Melbourne (16^th).

Livability: How Appealing for Talent, Visitors, Locals?

The Mercer Quality of Living City Ranking places Chicago 65^th tying with Philadelphia. The same firm’s Cost of Living Ranking ranks it 24^th, in between Washington D.C. (23^rd) and Vienna (25^th). The cost living survey reports that factors such as currency fluctuations, cost inflation for goods and services, and instability of accommodation prices are key to determine the cost of expat packages for employees on international assignment.

According to the Best Urban Cities for Digital Nomads ranking by Spot a Home, Chicago fares 24^th out of 56 global cities – right between Buenos Aires (23^rd) and Dublin (25^th).

The Arcadis Sustainability City Index 2022 ranks it 52^nd overall, sitting in between Milan (51^st) and Atlanta (53^rd). Chicago’s pillar rankings are the following: Planet 67^th, People 70^th, Profit 8^th.

According to The Times Higher Education ranking, the University of Chicago is the 13^th best university in the world. The QS World University ranking positions it 11^th – almost in the top ten.

Last updated in January 2024. More city profiles here.

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Disclaimer: The information in this article is intended to provide a general overview of Chicago’s economic and cultural landscape and facilitate comparison over time. While we strive for accuracy and completeness, we are not responsible for any typographical errors or inaccuracies. The data is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind. Users should verify any information before relying on it for decision-making purposes.