Bellwood receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Cicero
Bellwood
Opportunity
27 · Bottom 5%
vs29 · Bottom 6%
Growth
10 · Bottom 2%
vs11 · Bottom 2%
Climate
63 · Bottom 25%
vs62 · Bottom 23%
Physical resilience
69 · Top 38%
vs69 · Top 38%
Housing affordability
91 · Top 31%
vs97 · Top 16%
Access
96 · Top 33%
vs97 · Top 29%
Economic stability
52 · Bottom 34%
vs58 · Bottom 46%
Measured values
| Metric | Cicero | Bellwood | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 82,797 | 18,256 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $70,842 | $79,513 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $25,547 | $31,431 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 14,117/sq mi | 7,613/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $249,400 | $230,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,154 | $1,293 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 54.6% | 78.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 5.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.1% | -3.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 10.8% | 17.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.6% | 11.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 0 | 0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.0 | 0.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 19°F | 19°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 34.4" | 37.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 12 mi | 7 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 32.0 min | 30.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.4 | 38.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 18 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.47 | 14.39 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 82.0% | 94.3% | 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
Cicero
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Bellwood
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Full profiles: Cicero, IL · Bellwood, IL · How this is calculated: methodology