When asked which city in the world people would choose to live in, it appears Chicagoans have some thoughts — and the world has thoughts about Chicago.
According to a study by Remitly, a digital remittance company, Chicagoans join several other U.S. states in choosing Dubai as the destination of choice.
The study, which analyzed Google search data for 164 countries around the world and looked at search volumes for the phrase "move to [city]," found that an "overwhelming" favorite was Dubai, which topped the list of at least 60 countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom and the U.S.
But Chicago was also cited on the list for another reason — as a desired destination.
The city was named among the top 10 picks in the world, but the third-highest for the U.S. When asked which U.S. city residents would choose to live in, Chicago was chosen by at least 10 states.
New York City and Portland, Oregon, topped the list.
"The East and West coasts were tied in terms of the most popular US cities to relocate to, with the ‘Big Apple’ New York and Portland, Oregon (known for its natural beauty, world-class cuisine, and thriving tech industry), both having 12 other US states wanting to move to these cities the most," the study stated.
The states where residents would choose to live in Chicago were largely centered in the Midwest, including Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Ohio, Kentucky and Kansas. Outside of the Midwest, only Vermont and New Hampshire picked the Windy City.
See the full results here.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter here.
