Why Chicago?

$7B raised by Chicago tech firms in 2021—more than double from 2020

#3

Fastest growing tech hub by salary

#1

Metro for new and expanding companies for nearly a decade

23 tech unicorns call Chicago home, with 12 minted in 2021 alone

#1

Most diversified economy of the largest 10 U.S. metros based on employment

6,151

Chicago tech companies (and counting!)

90,000+

STEM jobs added since 2010

37

Fortune 500 Companies in Illinois with 15 in Chicago alone

#2

Largest producer of computer science degrees in the U.S.

26%

Of Chicago’s tech workforce is Black or Latinx

34%

Of Chicago startups are run by women—the highest concentration of women-owned startups in the world

#1

City in the US for angel & seed-stage funding for Black and Latin Founders

1,200+

Certified minority-owned businesses

LGBTQ+

Home to the oldest official LGBTQ+ neighborhood in the country

#1

Most immigrant-friendly out of the 100 largest U.S. cities

#1

Named Best Big City in the U.S. 5 years in a row by Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards

20%

Lower rents than other major U.S. cities, with a cost of living 35% lower than San Francisco and 30% lower than NYC

600+

Parks spanning 12,429 total acres

26

Miles of lakefront

15

Miles of sandy beaches

#2

Highest percentage of commuters riding their bikes to work

#1

Named Time Out’s best food and drink city in the world

8

Major league sports teams to cheer for

500+

Theaters and live music venues

60+

Museums

77

Distinct neighborhoods