Joliet and Waukegan receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Joliet
Waukegan
Opportunity
34 · Bottom 10%
vs44 · Bottom 23%
Growth
41 · Bottom 34%
vs34 · Bottom 24%
Climate
59 · Bottom 12%
vs60 · Bottom 15%
Physical resilience
83 · Top 19%
vs80 · Top 23%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs95 · Top 19%
Schools
35 · Bottom 29%
vs24 · Bottom 16%
Access
84 · Bottom 27%
vs87 · Bottom 34%
Economic stability
65 · Top 39%
vs61 · Top 49%
Measured values
| Metric | Joliet | Waukegan | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 150,445 | 89,076 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $92,201 | $71,919 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $36,812 | $33,249 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,270/sq mi | 3,672/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $265,800 | $190,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,276 | $1,205 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 73.7% | 50.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.0% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.9% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.5% | 20.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.1% | 15.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 312 | 13 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.1 | 0.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -43.2% | 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 | 34 mi | 27 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.2 min | 28.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.8 | 35.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 52 | 24 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.85 | 12.61 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 15.3% | 8.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 20.7% | 13.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 65.5% | 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: Joliet, IL · Waukegan, IL · How this is calculated: methodology