62526 and 60409 receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
62526
60409
Opportunity
19 · Bottom 2%
vs18 · Bottom 2%
Growth
13 · Bottom 3%
vs10 · Bottom 2%
Climate
67 · Bottom 40%
vs63 · Bottom 26%
Physical resilience
69 · Top 37%
vs69 · Top 37%
Housing affordability
95 · Top 22%
vs83 · Top 46%
Schools
6 · Bottom 1%
vs12 · Bottom 3%
Access
82 · Bottom 24%
vs97 · Top 32%
Economic stability
29 · Bottom 7%
vs37 · Bottom 16%
Measured values
| Metric | 62526 | 60409 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 30,483 | 35,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $49,062 | $55,369 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $31,798 | $28,113 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 462/sq mi | 4,531/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $95,100 | $145,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $833 | $1,177 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 60.8% | 55.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.6% | 8.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.5% | -3.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.7% | 21.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 18.2% | 23.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 3 | 0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.0 | 0.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 20°F | 19°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 36.4" | 34.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 37 mi | 7 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 18.9 min | 37.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 42.2 | 38.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 14 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 20.02 | 16.76 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 5.9% | 6.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 7.4% | 9.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 83.3% | 74.4% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
62526
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, tornado.
60409
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Full profiles: 62526 — Decatur, IL · 60409 — Calumet City, IL · How this is calculated: methodology