Plano and Aurora 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
Plano
Aurora
Opportunity
48 · Bottom 32%
vs43 · Bottom 22%
Growth
37 · Bottom 27%
vs64 · Top 26%
Climate
59 · Bottom 12%
vs59 · Bottom 12%
Physical resilience
81 · Top 21%
vs79 · Top 26%
Housing affordability
88 · Top 37%
vs94 · Top 21%
Access
80 · Bottom 22%
vs88 · Bottom 35%
Economic stability
74 · Top 20%
vs72 · Top 25%
Measured values
| Metric | Plano | Aurora | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,203 | 179,898 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $86,271 | $93,633 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $33,274 | $40,937 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,359/sq mi | 3,992/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $230,700 | $274,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,686 | $1,596 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 70.3% | 66.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 4.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.9% | -2.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.9% | 38.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 10.2% | 9.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 4 | 844 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.3 | 4.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 15°F | 15°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 33.8" | 33.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 38 mi | 25 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.5 min | 29.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 31.6 | 35.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 52 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.32 | 15.57 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 54.2% | 45.2% | 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.
Full profiles: Plano, IL · Aurora, IL · How this is calculated: methodology