Despite higher food, utilities and transportation costs than the national average, Chicago remains an agreeable city offering a unique urban environment and a diversified economy. The Chicago metro area recently was ranked as a "5-Star Business Opportunity Community" by Expansion Management Magazine based upon such consideration as education/public schools, health care (availability, costs), quality of life, logistics infrastructure, knowledge-worker quotient and legislative climate.

Chicago’s economy is mainly based on manufacturing, printing/publishing (second to New York), finance/insurance and food processing. Chicago has been a center for commerce in the United States for most of its modern history. Today, Chicago remains the United States' second financial center with the nation's second largest central business district and third largest gross metropolitan product. In fact, Chicago's gross metropolitan product would rank 18th in the world if it were a nation-state, at approximately 380 billion dollars

This is just a sample of what you'll find in the complete Chicago guide.