Huntley receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Huntley
Waukegan
Opportunity
42 · Bottom 20%
vs44 · Bottom 23%
Growth
55 · Top 42%
vs34 · Bottom 24%
Climate
60 · Bottom 15%
vs60 · Bottom 15%
Physical resilience
75 · Top 31%
vs80 · Top 23%
Housing affordability
82 · Top 47%
vs95 · Top 19%
Access
84 · Bottom 28%
vs87 · Bottom 34%
Economic stability
56 · Bottom 41%
vs61 · Top 49%
Measured values
| Metric | Huntley | Waukegan | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 28,005 | 89,076 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $88,536 | $71,919 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $50,023 | $33,249 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,911/sq mi | 3,672/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $334,300 | $190,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,622 | $1,205 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 88.9% | 50.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.9% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 42.5% | 20.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.6% | 15.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 231 | 13 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 8.2 | 0.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -47.5% | 85.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 81°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 16°F | 16°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 33.2" | 35.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 30 mi | 27 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 32.1 min | 28.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 49.7 | 35.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 2 | 24 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.96 | 12.61 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 18.9% | 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.
Full profiles: Huntley, IL · Waukegan, IL · How this is calculated: methodology