Naperville vs Skokie

Which is the better fit for you?

Naperville, IL
70
Area Score
Top 13% nationally
Skokie, IL
57
Area Score
Bottom 45% nationally

Want a third or fourth place beside these? Open them in the shortlist and add more.

Naperville receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Naperville to Skokie

It stays in this browser and is never sent anywhere.

Everyday prices
About the same
Regional price level 102.5 against 102.5 (US = 100). Both places sit in the same price region, so the index cannot tell them apart.
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
−$619 a month
HUD benchmarks it at $1,916 in Skokie against $2,535 in Naperville.
The median home
28% less
$387,200 in Skokie against $540,200 in Naperville.
The weather you would swap
Winters 2°F milder
Normal January lows are 18°F in Skokie against 16°F in Naperville; July highs are 84°F against 84°F (summers the same).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

Signals

Naperville
Skokie
Opportunity: Naperville is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
54 · Bottom 46%
vs
44 · Bottom 25%
Growth: Naperville is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
49 · Bottom 47%
vs
20 · Bottom 5%
Climate: Skokie is the more favorable of the two.
Climate
60 · Bottom 15%
vs
62 · Bottom 21%
Physical resilience: Naperville is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
82 · Top 20%
vs
69 · Top 38%
Housing affordability: Naperville is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
84 · Top 6%
vs
63 · Bottom 42%
Schools: Naperville is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
91 · Top 2%
vs
75 · Top 18%
Access: Skokie is the more favorable of the two.
Access
92 · Bottom 47%
vs
97 · Top 31%
Economic stability: Naperville is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
75 · Top 13%
vs
63 · Top 40%

Measured values

MetricNapervilleSkokieSource period
Population150,69266,2192024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$155,105 — more favorable$95,3372024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$73,721 — more favorable$46,5342024 ACS 5-Year
Population density3,829/sq mi6,580/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$540,200$387,2002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$1,885$1,552 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$2,535$1,916 — more favorableFY2026
Cost of living index102.5102.52023
Homeownership rate74.8%74.7%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate4.5% — more favorable4.9%July 2026
Employment change (year over year)−3.2%−3.2%July 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher72.5% — more favorable53.8%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate4.3% — more favorable9.8%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)3104,09012 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents2.1 — more favorable0.812 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)+11.9% — more favorable−42.4%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high84°F84°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low16°F18°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation33.2"32.3"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport20 mi10 mi — more favorableNASR current cycle
Average commute32.9 min30.7 min — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age40.443.22024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools44162024-25 school year
Students per teacher14.211.8 — more favorable2024-25 school year
Math proficiency64.6% — more favorable44.0%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency66.9% — more favorable47.6%2018-19 school year
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility15.8%49.0%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.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison.

Physical risk tradeoff

Naperville

No hazard reaches elevated exposure.

Skokie

Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Naperville
—
Naperville: Your Score
70
Area Score
Skokie
—
Skokie: Your Score
57
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Naperville, IL · Skokie, IL · How this is calculated: methodology