Chicago, IL vs Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington: Housing Market Comparison (2026)

Side-by-side Alpha Scores, affordability, momentum, supply, jobs, and rental yield · as of July 2026

Chicago, IL vs Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington side by side

Metric Chicago, IL Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington
Alpha Score4931
Price Momentum8350
Inventory Health310
Affordability5226
Economic Strength2143
Rental Yield6944
Median Sale Price$382K
Price-to-Income4.24.0
Payment-to-Income25.1%25.1%
Months of Supply3
Gross Rental Yield4.6%5.4%
Overvaluation Index5020

Highlighted = the stronger read for that metric (supply, valuation, and payment burden are better when lower). Income/rent inputs lag annually.

How Chicago, IL and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington compare, dimension by dimension

  • Affordability: Chicago, IL leads — Chicago, IL 52/100 vs Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington 26/100.
  • Price Momentum: Chicago, IL leads — Chicago, IL 83/100 vs Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington 50/100.
  • Inventory Health: Chicago, IL leads — Chicago, IL 31/100 vs Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington 0/100.
  • Economic Strength: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington leads — Chicago, IL 21/100 vs Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington 43/100.
  • Rental Yield: Chicago, IL leads — Chicago, IL 69/100 vs Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington 44/100.

Frequently asked questions

Which has a higher Alpha Score, Chicago, IL or Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?

Chicago, IL scores higher — 49 vs 31 out of 100. The Alpha Score is a 0-100 composite of price momentum, inventory health, affordability, economic strength, and rental yield.

Is Chicago, IL or Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington more affordable?

Chicago, IL is more affordable on our affordability dimension. Price-to-income is 4.2 in Chicago, IL and 4.0 in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington.

Which housing market has stronger momentum, Chicago, IL or Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?

Chicago, IL has stronger price momentum — 83/100 vs 50/100.

Want to swap in other cities, change the metrics, or chart the trend over time? Customize this comparison → in the interactive Compare tool. Or read the Chicago, IL market brief and the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington brief.