Evanston receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Evanston
Waukegan
Opportunity
41 · Bottom 19%
vs44 · Bottom 23%
Growth
62 · Top 30%
vs34 · Bottom 24%
Climate
62 · Bottom 20%
vs60 · Bottom 15%
Physical resilience
69 · Top 38%
vs80 · Top 23%
Housing affordability
69 · Bottom 32%
vs95 · Top 19%
Schools
76 · Top 19%
vs24 · Bottom 16%
Access
96 · Top 33%
vs87 · Bottom 34%
Economic stability
55 · Bottom 39%
vs61 · Top 49%
Measured values
| Metric | Evanston | Waukegan | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 76,340 | 89,076 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $96,434 | $71,919 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $66,712 | $33,249 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 9,814/sq mi | 3,672/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $481,200 | $190,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,762 | $1,205 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 56.2% | 50.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.1% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 69.5% | 20.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.8% | 15.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 386 | 13 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.1 | 0.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 2473.3% | 85.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 81°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 18°F | 16°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 32.3" | 35.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 12 mi | 27 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.1 min | 28.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.4 | 35.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 18 | 24 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 11.00 | 12.61 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 36.9% | 8.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 34.1% | 13.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 36.7% | 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.
Physical risk tradeoff
Evanston
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Waukegan
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Full profiles: Evanston, IL · Waukegan, IL · How this is calculated: methodology