Sycamore and Woodstock 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
Sycamore
Woodstock
Opportunity
49 · Bottom 36%
vs42 · Bottom 21%
Growth
52 · Top 47%
vs52 · Top 46%
Climate
58 · Bottom 10%
vs59 · Bottom 12%
Physical resilience
80 · Top 24%
vs74 · Top 32%
Housing affordability
98 · Top 12%
vs100 · Top 8%
Schools
56 · Top 44%
vs62 · Top 37%
Access
78 · Bottom 20%
vs81 · Bottom 23%
Economic stability
74 · Top 20%
vs78 · Top 11%
Measured values
| Metric | Sycamore | Woodstock | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 18,559 | 26,147 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $84,120 | $82,758 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $43,190 | $42,631 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,834/sq mi | 1,982/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $265,700 | $245,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,140 | $1,212 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 71.6% | 71.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.8% | -3.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 46.0% | 30.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.1% | 6.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 70 | 75 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.8 | 2.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 13°F | 14°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 37.4" | 39.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 40 mi | 35 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.6 min | 27.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.1 | 39.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.20 | 15.28 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 25.8% | 24.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 27.3% | 38.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 27.1% | 44.1% | 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: Sycamore, IL · Woodstock, IL · How this is calculated: methodology