According to Google maps, Miami is 1,382 mi almost due south of Chicago. That translates to a big difference in weather. Chicago is on a huge lake and Miami is on the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean is on the tip of a very large peninsula called Florida. Miami is known for sun, beaches and oranges while Chicago is known for meatpacking, Oprah Winfrey and wind. Both cities have dangerous slums with large poor populations, but their ethnic background is different. Both cities are nice in spring and fall, but Miami is really hot in summer and Chicago is really cold in winter. I don’t think it is nice to live in either one all year round unless you have a lot of money.
Chicago is right on the tip of Lake Michigan, which looks almost like a reverse of the shape of Florida. It is pretty far north, so it gets as low as -10 degrees Fahrenheit in winter and it does get hot and sticky in summer in the nineties. Chicago is called the windy city, because the wind often blows hard off Lake Michigan, and it brings a lot of rain or snow in winter. Miami gets more rain than Chicago, and it almost never gets colder than 50 degrees Fahrenheit or much hotter than ninety. However, Miami gets punished by hurricanes while Chicago is too far inland to be in danger.
Chicago is more populous than Miami with nearly 3 million people, while Miami has only about 2.5 million, and both cities have very mixed ethnic populations. Chicago and Miami are both very rich cities, yet Chicago has 20% of its population living below the poverty line and Miami has more than 28% poor. Miami has a more Latin population than Chicago, while Chicago has more Eastern Europeans. Both cities have areas that are very dangerous, even in the daytime. These two cities are the third and fourth-largest in the US.
Chicago is a huge financial centre while Miami’s economy is mostly tourism and international shipping. Chicago’s GDP also focuses upon manufacturing, insurance, IT and the food industry, especially meatpacking. There are better jobs in finance in Chicago and in tourism in Miami. It is more expensive to live in Miami, with housing costing almost 40% of most median incomes. Chicago is cheaper and has a wider variety of jobs available. While poor jobs are plentiful in both cities, it is easier to find better jobs in Chicago, since more people want to live in Miami.
There is plenty to do in both of the large cities, but the beach is available all year round in Miami while boating on the lake is only for summer in Chicago. However, winter sports are simply not available in Miami. Both cities have every conceivable kind of sports, but Miami has no hockey or other snow and ice sports and Chicago has fewer water sports. I think entertainment is great in either of these cities.
Even though Chicago is colder and further north, and it really has no beach, or ocean, I think I would choose Chicago if I have to work. There are more interesting good jobs available there and the cost of living is lower. Miami is great if you love the beach, but you still have to pay rent, and I hear that the cockroaches in Miami could gobble up the ones in Chicago. I think I could live better on earned income in Chicago, and that money can make one quite comfortable in the cold of winter. If not, one can always use the extra money to visit Florida in winter.