Macomb receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Macomb
Galesburg
Opportunity
31 · Bottom 7%
vs34 · Bottom 10%
Growth
21 · Bottom 9%
vs26 · Bottom 13%
Climate
60 · Bottom 16%
vs59 · Bottom 10%
Physical resilience
73 · Top 32%
vs59 · Top 49%
Housing affordability
94 · Top 22%
vs96 · Top 18%
Schools
45 · Bottom 41%
vs37 · Bottom 32%
Access
70 · Bottom 13%
vs83 · Bottom 26%
Economic stability
35 · Bottom 12%
vs30 · Bottom 7%
Measured values
| Metric | Macomb | Galesburg | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,894 | 29,481 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $44,411 | $48,297 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $28,907 | $27,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,395/sq mi | 1,659/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $103,300 | $96,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $765 | $801 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 49.4% | 62.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 5.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.0% | -0.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35.4% | 19.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 25.1% | 19.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1 | 1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.1 | 0.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 16°F | 14°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 37.9" | 39.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 54 mi | 35 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 17.2 min | 17.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 27.6 | 40.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 15 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.56 | 14.31 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 19.9% | 13.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 20.9% | 22.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 56.0% | 76.3% | 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
Macomb
Elevated or high exposure: hail, cold wave, strong wind.
Galesburg
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Full profiles: Macomb, IL · Galesburg, IL · How this is calculated: methodology