Waukegan receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Crest Hill
Waukegan
Opportunity
32 · Bottom 9%
vs44 · Bottom 23%
Growth
11 · Bottom 3%
vs34 · Bottom 24%
Climate
59 · Bottom 12%
vs60 · Bottom 15%
Physical resilience
83 · Top 19%
vs80 · Top 23%
Housing affordability
83 · Top 45%
vs95 · Top 19%
Access
86 · Bottom 31%
vs87 · Bottom 34%
Economic stability
55 · Bottom 39%
vs61 · Top 49%
Measured values
| Metric | Crest Hill | Waukegan | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,628 | 89,076 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $73,033 | $71,919 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $35,379 | $33,249 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,298/sq mi | 3,672/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $232,900 | $190,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,481 | $1,205 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 67.3% | 50.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.0% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.9% | 20.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.0% | 15.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 0 | 13 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.0 | 0.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -100.0% | 85.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 81°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 15°F | 16°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 33.8" | 35.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 30 mi | 27 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.5 min | 28.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.1 | 35.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 4 | 24 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.48 | 12.61 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 62.7% | 69.4% | 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.
Your best match
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Crest Hill
59
Your Score
55
Area Score
Waukegan
61
Your Score
58
Area Score
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Full profiles: Crest Hill, IL · Waukegan, IL · How this is calculated: methodology