Chicago-Naperville-Elgin vs New York, NY: Housing Market Comparison (2026)

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

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin vs New York, NY side by side

Metric Chicago-Naperville-Elgin New York, NY
Alpha Score2940
Price Momentum5074
Inventory Health137
Affordability363
Economic Strength2649
Rental Yield4437
Median Sale Price$806K
Price-to-Income3.59.2
Payment-to-Income22.4%54.4%
Months of Supply5
Gross Rental Yield5.3%2.7%
Overvaluation Index1060

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

How Chicago-Naperville-Elgin and New York, NY compare, dimension by dimension

  • Affordability: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin leads — Chicago-Naperville-Elgin 36/100 vs New York, NY 3/100.
  • Price Momentum: New York, NY leads — Chicago-Naperville-Elgin 50/100 vs New York, NY 74/100.
  • Inventory Health: New York, NY leads — Chicago-Naperville-Elgin 1/100 vs New York, NY 37/100.
  • Economic Strength: New York, NY leads — Chicago-Naperville-Elgin 26/100 vs New York, NY 49/100.
  • Rental Yield: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin leads — Chicago-Naperville-Elgin 44/100 vs New York, NY 37/100.

Frequently asked questions

Which has a higher Alpha Score, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin or New York, NY?

New York, NY scores higher — 40 vs 29 out of 100. The Alpha Score is a 0-100 composite of price momentum, inventory health, affordability, economic strength, and rental yield.

Is Chicago-Naperville-Elgin or New York, NY more affordable?

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin is more affordable on our affordability dimension. Price-to-income is 3.5 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin and 9.2 in New York, NY.

Which housing market has stronger momentum, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin or New York, NY?

New York, NY has stronger price momentum — 74/100 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-Naperville-Elgin market brief and the New York, NY brief.