River Forest receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
River Forest
Waukegan
Opportunity
43 · Bottom 23%
vs44 · Bottom 23%
Growth
18 · Bottom 6%
vs34 · Bottom 24%
Climate
63 · Bottom 25%
vs60 · Bottom 15%
Physical resilience
69 · Top 38%
vs80 · Top 23%
Housing affordability
81 · Top 50%
vs95 · Top 19%
Schools
96 · Top 1%
vs24 · Bottom 16%
Access
97 · Top 29%
vs87 · Bottom 34%
Economic stability
72 · Top 25%
vs61 · Top 49%
Measured values
| Metric | River Forest | Waukegan | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,992 | 89,076 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $146,786 | $71,919 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $91,438 | $33,249 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,835/sq mi | 3,672/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $687,300 | $190,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,554 | $1,205 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 87.7% | 50.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.8% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.1% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 72.9% | 20.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 2.7% | 15.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 2 | 13 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.2 | 0.1 | 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 | 34.4" | 35.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 7 mi | 27 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 35.2 min | 28.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.0 | 35.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 3 | 24 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 11.49 | 12.61 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 55.9% | 8.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 59.6% | 13.1% | 2019-20 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
River Forest
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Waukegan
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
River Forest
67
Your Score
62
Area Score
Waukegan
61
Your Score
58
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: River Forest, IL · Waukegan, IL · How this is calculated: methodology