Waukegan receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Lansing
Waukegan
Opportunity
30 · Bottom 6%
vs44 · Bottom 23%
Growth
11 · Bottom 2%
vs34 · Bottom 24%
Climate
63 · Bottom 25%
vs60 · Bottom 15%
Physical resilience
69 · Top 38%
vs80 · Top 23%
Housing affordability
95 · Top 19%
vs95 · Top 19%
Schools
19 · Bottom 9%
vs24 · Bottom 16%
Access
97 · Top 29%
vs87 · Bottom 34%
Economic stability
56 · Bottom 42%
vs61 · Top 49%
Measured values
| Metric | Lansing | Waukegan | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 28,284 | 89,076 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $75,569 | $71,919 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $36,031 | $33,249 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,790/sq mi | 3,672/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $177,000 | $190,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,268 | $1,205 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 71.9% | 50.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 7.2% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.1% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.2% | 20.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.0% | 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 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 81°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 19°F | 16°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 34.4" | 35.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 8 mi | 27 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 35.2 min | 28.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.0 | 35.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 24 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.09 | 12.61 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 7.1% | 8.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 19.7% | 13.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 78.0% | 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
Lansing
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Waukegan
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Full profiles: Lansing, IL · Waukegan, IL · How this is calculated: methodology