I live in Chicago, and to be honest, it's not that bad if you own a car. (Chicago is relatively car friendly). Winters are harder for those who don't own a car

I live in Chicago, and to be honest, it's not that bad if you own a car. (Chicago is relatively car friendly). Winters are harder for those who don't own a car -- and many don't, but they manage fine by just bundling up. Anecdotally one hears of people leaving Chicago for a warmer climate, but it's more common for people to leave the city to move to the suburbs (better schools) or to neighboring Indiana (lower COL) -- where there are no weather advantages. For most of us who live in the northern parts of North America, winter is something we're used to and is not the push factor so many believe it is (those who do see it as a push factor tend to be outspoken about it, so their voices are amplified, which skews perceptions). If winter was indeed that terrible, the northern North America would have been depopulated. But if you talk to the locals here, many would tell you they prefer to live in the north. (of course some won't but not as many as you would think)