Chicago population: 2.8 million
Median household income: $43,223
Office vacancy rate: 17.8%
Number of businesses: 41,815
Snowfall this winter: 53 inches
Chicago average: 34 inches
Top Chicago-area employers: Abbott Laboratories, Allstate Insurance Co., U.S. Post Office, University of Chicago
Where the money is: About 17 billionaires call Chicago home, including Samuel Zell, Oprah Winfrey, William Wrigley Jr., Lester Crown and family and members of the Pritzker family.
Individuals who grew up or reside in Chicago: Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John Cusack, Jeremy Piven, Vince Vaughn, Kanye West, Common
On the agenda: A bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2006 American Community Survey, Illinois DepARTMENT of Employment Security, U.S. DepARTMENT of Commerce, forbes.com, infoUSA