Owensboro receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Kankakee
Owensboro
Opportunity
33 · Bottom 10%
vs38 · Bottom 17%
Growth
25 · Bottom 13%
vs40 · Bottom 34%
Climate
60 · Bottom 27%
vs74 · Top 25%
Physical resilience
41 · Bottom 29%
vs38 · Bottom 27%
Housing affordability
99 · Top 32%
vs100 · Top 27%
Access
79 · Top 45%
vs97 · Top 12%
Economic stability
62 · Top 36%
vs59 · Top 40%
Measured values
| Metric | Kankakee | Owensboro | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 106,635 | 112,762 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $71,281 | $68,002 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $36,825 | $36,319 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 158/sq mi | 159/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $192,600 | $195,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,097 | $907 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.9% | 69.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% | 5.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -2.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.2% | 25.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.2% | 14.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 132 | 195 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.2 | 1.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -12.6% | -34.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 89°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 16°F | 26°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 41.7" | 47.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 40 mi | 5 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.8 min | 21.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.0 | 39.0 | 2024 ACS 5-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
Kankakee
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, tornado.
Owensboro
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, strong wind, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Kankakee, IL Metro Area · Owensboro, KY Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology