Niles receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Niles
Waukegan
Opportunity
37 · Bottom 13%
vs44 · Bottom 23%
Growth
52 · Top 47%
vs34 · Bottom 24%
Climate
62 · Bottom 23%
vs60 · Bottom 15%
Physical resilience
69 · Top 38%
vs80 · Top 23%
Housing affordability
73 · Bottom 37%
vs95 · Top 19%
Schools
69 · Top 29%
vs24 · Bottom 16%
Access
97 · Top 29%
vs87 · Bottom 34%
Economic stability
54 · Bottom 37%
vs61 · Top 49%
Measured values
| Metric | Niles | Waukegan | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 30,064 | 89,076 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $75,274 | $71,919 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $40,380 | $33,249 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 5,141/sq mi | 3,672/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $358,700 | $190,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,336 | $1,205 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 74.6% | 50.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.1% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 39.3% | 20.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.5% | 15.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 165 | 13 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.5 | 0.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 60.2% | 85.7% | 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 | 37.9" | 35.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 6 mi | 27 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.5 min | 28.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 48.2 | 35.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 24 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.30 | 12.61 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 28.9% | 8.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 35.0% | 13.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 60.3% | 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
Niles
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Waukegan
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Full profiles: Niles, IL · Waukegan, IL · How this is calculated: methodology