Chicago, located in northeastern Illinois, is the state’s largest and the country’s third most populous city, with over 2.7 million residents. The greater Chicagoland area encompasses northeastern Illinois and extends in southeastern Wisconsin and northwestern Indiana, representing the third-largest metropolitan area in the United States and the most dominant metropolis in the Midwest region.
Chicago’s triumphant economy is powered by its strong manufacturing presence in a variety of industries such as food products, candy, pharmaceuticals, communication equipment, scientific instruments, automobiles, and raw metals. Since its founding, the city has proven to be an essential manufacturing hub for the nation’s top-performing companies with its central location allowing Chicago to be at the center of global trade, transit, and data networks. Chicago’s industrial mix most closely matches the nation’s, with no single industry employing more than 12% of the workforce.
Additionally, as a multicultural city that thrives on the harmony and diversity of its neighborhoods, Chicago embodies the values of America’s heartland integrity. It is this level of diversification that has resulted in Chicago being rated as having the most balanced economy in the United States with an extremely high satisfaction rating.
