Pekin and Peoria 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
Pekin
Peoria
Opportunity
38 · Bottom 15%
vs41 · Bottom 19%
Growth
31 · Bottom 18%
vs31 · Bottom 19%
Climate
61 · Bottom 19%
vs61 · Bottom 19%
Physical resilience
74 · Top 31%
vs88 · Top 14%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs95 · Top 20%
Schools
39 · Bottom 34%
vs32 · Bottom 24%
Access
98 · Top 19%
vs98 · Top 19%
Economic stability
48 · Bottom 29%
vs42 · Bottom 20%
Measured values
| Metric | Pekin | Peoria | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 31,781 | 112,169 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $60,790 | $59,410 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,700 | $38,466 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,022/sq mi | 2,331/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $120,700 | $156,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $819 | $1,005 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 68.4% | 57.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% | 5.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.3% | -0.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.9% | 37.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.8% | 21.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 9 | 36 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.3 | 0.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 80.0% | -5.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 86°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 18°F | 18°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 37.6" | 37.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 8 mi | 7 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.2 min | 19.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.9 | 35.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 18 | 40 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.52 | 15.52 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 17.2% | 15.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 21.1% | 17.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 57.2% | 76.7% | 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
Pekin
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Peoria
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, hail.
Full profiles: Pekin, IL · Peoria, IL · How this is calculated: methodology