Chicago — UN urban centre population
Chicago has a recorded base population of 3,683,385 for the UN urban centre definition (2025 annual estimate). UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; the moving counter uses UN 2025–2026 annual growth, not new population observations.
At a glance
Separate UN urban-centre definition
Chicago UN urban centre: 3,683,385 people (2025), equal to the displayed UN urban centre figure of 3,683,385. Separate GeoNames settlement record: 2,664,452; the UN value is larger (different boundaries; GeoNames population date unavailable). UN WUP 2025 Degree of Urbanisation; not a municipal/province boundary. Association: name/country/coordinates matched; boundary relationship unverified. No containment claim is made.
Administrative units of Chicago
45 administrative records listed; completeness not established. 45 of 45 population values available; population values and dates not independently verified.
Available-value subtotal: 1,855,496; not a reconciled total. Shares use the displayed UN urban centre denominator 3,683,385; mixed/unknown dates are not comparable. An em dash means missing, not zero.
| Unit | Population | Share | Membership |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Town | 86,429 | 2.35% | Not independently verified |
| Near North Side | 85,711 | 2.33% | Not independently verified |
| Belmont Cragin | 79,159 | 2.15% | Not independently verified |
| South Lawndale | 73,826 | 2.00% | Not independently verified |
| Logan Square | 73,702 | 2.00% | Not independently verified |
| West Ridge | 72,211 | 1.96% | Not independently verified |
| Lincoln Park | 66,959 | 1.82% | Not independently verified |
| Portage Park | 64,841 | 1.76% | Not independently verified |
| Irving Park | 56,520 | 1.53% | Not independently verified |
| Chicago Lawn | 55,551 | 1.51% | Not independently verified |
| Uptown | 55,137 | 1.50% | Not independently verified |
| Edgewater | 54,873 | 1.49% | Not independently verified |
| Rogers Park | 54,402 | 1.48% | Not independently verified |
| Albany Park | 52,079 | 1.41% | Not independently verified |
| South Shore | 51,451 | 1.40% | Not independently verified |
| Auburn Gresham | 45,842 | 1.24% | Not independently verified |
| Brighton Park | 44,202 | 1.20% | Not independently verified |
| Ashburn | 42,752 | 1.16% | Not independently verified |
| Gage Park | 41,202 | 1.12% | Not independently verified |
| Lincoln Square | 40,761 | 1.11% | Not independently verified |
| Avondale | 39,721 | 1.08% | Not independently verified |
| North Lawndale | 35,276 | 0.96% | Not independently verified |
| North Center | 34,623 | 0.94% | Not independently verified |
| Lower West Side | 34,410 | 0.93% | Not independently verified |
| Bridgeport | 33,878 | 0.92% | Not independently verified |
| Chicago Loop | 33,442 | 0.91% | Not independently verified |
| West Lawn | 32,749 | 0.89% | Not independently verified |
| Greater Grand Crossing | 32,346 | 0.88% | Not independently verified |
| West Englewood | 32,156 | 0.87% | Not independently verified |
| Chatham | 31,392 | 0.85% | Not independently verified |
| South Chicago | 28,095 | 0.76% | Not independently verified |
| Hyde Park | 26,893 | 0.73% | Not independently verified |
| Englewood | 26,121 | 0.71% | Not independently verified |
| Woodlawn | 24,150 | 0.66% | Not independently verified |
| Morgan Park | 22,924 | 0.62% | Not independently verified |
| Near South Side | 22,401 | 0.61% | Not independently verified |
| Grand Boulevard | 22,373 | 0.61% | Not independently verified |
| East Garfield Park | 20,656 | 0.56% | Not independently verified |
| Douglas | 20,323 | 0.55% | Not independently verified |
| West Elsdon | 19,219 | 0.52% | Not independently verified |
| Mount Greenwood | 18,783 | 0.51% | Not independently verified |
| West Garfield Park | 17,742 | 0.48% | Not independently verified |
| Kenwood | 17,601 | 0.48% | Not independently verified |
| McKinley Park | 15,612 | 0.42% | Not independently verified |
| Ukrainian Village | 15,000 | 0.41% | Not independently verified |
Comparable database records
Same definition label: UN urban centre. Dates/boundaries may still differ; this is not a harmonised international city ranking. Ratios use 3,683,385 as denominator.
| Place | Population | vs Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Recife | 3,691,196 | +0.2% |
| Brazzaville | 3,656,322 | −0.7% |
| Ibadan | 3,720,721 | +1.0% |
| Melbourne | 3,639,893 | −1.2% |
| Qingdao | 3,616,657 | −1.8% |
About these numbers
Source: UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025. Reference: 2025 annual estimate. Live method: exponential projection from modelling anchor 2025-01-01 using UN 2025–2026 annual growth (−0.09% per year). This anchor is a modelling convention, not an observed population date. Tiles, ranks and comparisons use the recorded base figure 3,683,385, not the ticking estimate. Country/world denominators are World Bank values and can differ in date and method from local/UN values. Ranks cover only records with the same definition label in this database, not all cities in the world.
What changed during your lifetime?
Turn these figures into a private, five-scene personal world story.
Which city boundary are you reading?
This page is a structured reference entry. Its sources, geographic definition and reference dates determine what the figures mean; it is not independent reporting about the causes of change. Read the accompanying explanation before comparing different places or vintages.