City comparison
Cicero, IL versus Dallas, TX is a real move, not a trivia matchup. This comparison uses the same 2026 neighborhood report data we publish on each city page — typical rent, median household income, crime indexes, school composites, and typical weather — so you can see which city actually fits how you live, work, and spend. Typical rents sit near $1,781 a month in Cicero and $1,931 in Dallas, and median household income lands at $64,325 versus $63,985. Open either city's full report when you want the block-level detail behind these headlines.
Cicero takes affordability, job market, safety, and weather. The widest gap is typical weather, where Cicero leads by 118% — the kind of spread you feel in a monthly budget or a nightly walk, not just on a chart. Read the category rows as a filter: if cheaper housing would change your life more than a stronger job market, weight rent first. If you are moving with kids, weight schools and crime. If you picked a city after one good weekend, use the weather and income rows to test whether that weekend survives a full year.
Numbers below are citywide, not a guarantee about the street you will actually live on. Two ZIP codes in Cicero can feel further apart than Cicero and Dallas do on paper. Use this page to pick a city, then use the Cicero and Dallas reports to pick a neighborhood — and visit in the season you like least before you sign anything.
Cicero, IL
Dallas, TX
Rent
8% cheaper
Cicero rent is 8% cheaper than Dallas
Cicero
Winner$1,781/mo
Dallas
$1,931/mo
Typical rent runs $1,781 a month in Cicero versus $1,931 in Dallas, so Cicero is 8% cheaper. The monthly spread is about $150, or $1,800 a year — noticeable, but rent alone should not pick the city. Use this as a tie-breaker after you compare income, schools, and crime, unless you are already stretching every dollar.
Median income
1% higher
Cicero's median income is 1% higher than Dallas
Cicero
Winner$64,325
Dallas
$63,985
Median household income is $64,325 in Cicero versus $63,985 in Dallas, so typical pay runs 1% higher in Cicero — about $340 more household income a year. The income edge is modest. Treat it as extra negotiating context, not a reason to ignore rent, schools, or climate. Remote workers especially should not treat citywide pay as a personal raise if their employer will not localize salary.
Crime index
21% lower crime
Cicero's crime index is 21% lower than Dallas
Cicero
Winner86 (100 = avg)
Dallas
109 (100 = avg)
Cicero's crime index is 86 versus 109 in Dallas (100 = national average), so citywide crime runs 21% lower in Cicero. That gap is meaningful day-to-day — it affects whether you feel comfortable walking at night, leaving your car on the street, or letting kids play outside unsupervised. Indexes still compress a lot of reality: a calmer city has blocks you would skip, and a higher-crime city has streets that feel neighborly at 10 p.m. On the everyday test of walking from the car to the door, Cicero is the easier city. Dallas can still work if you pick the right pocket — just budget more diligence before you sign a lease.
School scores
Neck and neck
Cicero and Dallas are about even on school scores.
Cicero
A- · 84/100
Dallas
A- · 84/100
School composites are effectively even (A- in Cicero, A- in Dallas). For families with kids this is a warning if you assumed one city was obviously better — at this range the campus, not the city name, decides it. Tour the zoned elementary you would actually use.
Typical weather
118% more comfortable
Cicero weather is 118% more comfortable than Dallas
Cicero
Winner71°F typical
Dallas
92°F typical
Cicero scores 118% more comfortable on this page's weather index, which rewards temperatures closer to a livable outdoor day. Typical temperatures sit around 71°F in Cicero and 92°F in Dallas. Cicero reads as mild, livable temperatures; Dallas reads as hot, long summers. Climate affects quality of life more than most people anticipate when planning a move. Consider how much time you spend outdoors and whether extreme heat or cold impacts your mood or productivity. Cicero is the better default if you want year-round outdoor access. Dallas can still be right if you love that climate on purpose — beach heat, dry heat, or a real winter — but you cannot return a city's weather.
Fit check
Career-focused movers who want salary upside plus year-round outdoor access
Cicero is the clearer landing pad if housing cost is what keeps you up at night. Typical rent is 8% cheaper here at about $1,781 a month. Choose Cicero if you are stretching a salary, starting over, or want slack for travel and debt instead of a flashier skyline.
It is also a match for career-focused movers who want salary upside and year-round outdoor access. Median household income runs 1% higher ($64,325), and typical weather is the more comfortable of the two — around 71°F. That pairing is for people who will work hard and then actually use the evenings.
Cicero is the better fit for families with young children and retirees who prioritize peace of mind over urban energy. The crime index is 21% lower than Dallas (86 vs a 100 national average). That gap shows up in how freely you walk at night and how much attention you spend on the car and the deadbolt.
Fit check
People with a job, family, or neighborhood already pulling them to Dallas
On these five categories Cicero takes the scoreboard, so you should not choose Dallas because the stats are kinder — they are not. Choose Dallas only if a job offer, family, a specific neighborhood, or a life you already started there outweighs the box score. Plenty of good moves ignore the aggregate; just do it on purpose.
Bottom line
If weather is your priority, Cicero is the clear choice.
If safety matters more to you, Cicero pulls ahead.
For most movers comparing these two cities, Cicero offers the better overall package.
Common questions
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