Wood Dale and Joliet 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
Wood Dale
Joliet
Opportunity
42 · Bottom 20%
vs34 · Bottom 10%
Growth
33 · Bottom 21%
vs41 · Bottom 34%
Climate
62 · Bottom 23%
vs59 · Bottom 12%
Physical resilience
81 · Top 22%
vs83 · Top 19%
Housing affordability
85 · Top 42%
vs100 · Top 8%
Schools
42 · Bottom 38%
vs35 · Bottom 29%
Access
97 · Top 29%
vs84 · Bottom 27%
Economic stability
77 · Top 13%
vs65 · Top 39%
Measured values
| Metric | Wood Dale | Joliet | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,933 | 150,445 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $91,382 | $92,201 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,223 | $36,812 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,909/sq mi | 2,270/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $318,900 | $265,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,675 | $1,276 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 77.0% | 73.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 6.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.0% | -2.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.9% | 25.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.7% | 11.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 5 | 312 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.4 | 2.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -16.7% | -43.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 19°F | 15°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 37.9" | 33.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 4 mi | 34 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.5 min | 31.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 42.3 | 35.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 52 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.90 | 14.85 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 10.5% | 15.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 32.0% | 20.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 55.2% | 65.5% | 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: Wood Dale, IL · Joliet, IL · How this is calculated: methodology