Niles and Joliet 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
Niles
Joliet
Opportunity
37 · Bottom 13%
vs34 · Bottom 10%
Growth
52 · Top 47%
vs41 · Bottom 34%
Climate
62 · Bottom 23%
vs59 · Bottom 12%
Physical resilience
69 · Top 38%
vs83 · Top 19%
Housing affordability
73 · Bottom 37%
vs100 · Top 8%
Schools
69 · Top 29%
vs35 · Bottom 29%
Access
97 · Top 29%
vs84 · Bottom 27%
Economic stability
54 · Bottom 37%
vs65 · Top 39%
Measured values
| Metric | Niles | Joliet | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 30,064 | 150,445 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $75,274 | $92,201 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $40,380 | $36,812 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 5,141/sq mi | 2,270/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $358,700 | $265,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,336 | $1,276 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 74.6% | 73.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 6.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.1% | -2.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 39.3% | 25.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.5% | 11.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 165 | 312 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.5 | 2.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 60.2% | -43.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 19°F | 15°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 37.9" | 33.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 6 mi | 34 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.5 min | 31.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 48.2 | 35.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 52 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.30 | 14.85 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 28.9% | 15.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 35.0% | 20.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 60.3% | 65.5% | 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
Niles
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Joliet
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Full profiles: Niles, IL · Joliet, IL · How this is calculated: methodology