Bradley vs South Sioux City

Which is the better fit for you?

Bradley, IL
53
Area Score
Bottom 31% nationally
South Sioux City, NE
51
Area Score
Bottom 23% nationally

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Bradley receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Bradley to South Sioux City

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Everyday prices
5% lower
Regional price level 88.2 against 92.4 (US = 100)
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
−$172 a month
HUD benchmarks it at $1,154 in South Sioux City against $1,326 in Bradley.
The median home
1% more
$174,700 in South Sioux City against $173,400 in Bradley.
The weather you would swap
Winters 6°F colder
Normal January lows are 10°F in South Sioux City against 16°F in Bradley; July highs are 85°F against 85°F (summers the same).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

28 occupations have a published median wage in both places. Start typing, or choose from the list.

Median wages are the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ metro figures for that occupation, not a job offer, and the price level is the regional index; neither includes taxes, benefits or how senior you are.

Signals

Bradley
South Sioux City
Opportunity: Bradley is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
54 · Bottom 44%
vs
52 · Bottom 40%
Growth: South Sioux City is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
44 · Bottom 36%
vs
47 · Bottom 43%
Climate: Bradley is the more favorable of the two.
Climate
60 · Bottom 16%
vs
56 · Bottom 7%
Physical resilience: Bradley is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
40 · Bottom 31%
vs
28 · Bottom 22%
Housing affordability: Bradley is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
78 · Top 17%
vs
75 · Top 24%
Schools: Bradley is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
33 · Bottom 29%
vs
32 · Bottom 28%
Access: South Sioux City is the more favorable of the two.
Access
81 · Bottom 22%
vs
97 · Top 31%
Economic stability: Bradley is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
66 · Top 34%
vs
64 · Top 38%

Measured values

MetricBradleySouth Sioux CitySource period
Population15,32513,9072024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income — the two are too close to separate$67,420 ±$8,242$68,223 ±$7,0282024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$36,974 — more favorable$28,9292024 ACS 5-Year
Population density2,107/sq mi2,069/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$173,400$174,7002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent — the two are too close to separate$1,186 ±$72$1,127 ±$842024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$1,326$1,154 — more favorableFY2026
Cost of living index92.488.2 — more favorable2023
Homeownership rate64.4%55.9%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate4.1%3.9% — more favorableJuly 2026
Employment change (year over year)−0.3% — more favorable−0.7%July 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher20.7% — more favorable15.5%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate — the two are too close to separate7.2% ±3%11.4% ±4%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)193412 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents1.22.4 — more favorable12 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)+58.3%+3.0%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high85°F85°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low16°F10°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation41.7"29.3"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport39 mi4 mi — more favorableNASR current cycle
Average commute24.3 min13.7 min — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age34.730.52024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools472024-25 school year
Students per teacher13.5 — more favorable13.92024-25 school year
Math proficiency20.2%45.3%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency29.3%43.9%2018-19 school year
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility55.8%69.1%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.

3 rows above show both figures with a ± margin and neither in bold. Those come from the American Community Survey, which samples rather than counts, and the gap between the two is smaller than the uncertainty on the figures themselves — so the survey did not find a difference to report, and calling either one the winner would be reading a result out of noise.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison. The year-over-year change is not marked either: a percentage on fewer than 300 units swings on a handful of permits.

Illinois and Nebraska do not give the same test. Each state writes its own assessment and sets its own passing score, so the two proficiency rows above are not directly comparable — the difference between them partly measures which standard is harder. Students per teacher and the school count are unaffected, and each profile ranks its own proficiency within its own state.

Physical risk tradeoff

Bradley

Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, tornado.

South Sioux City

Elevated or high exposure: hail.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Bradley
—
Bradley: Your Score
53
Area Score
South Sioux City
—
South Sioux City: Your Score
51
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Bradley, IL · South Sioux City, NE · How this is calculated: methodology