Woodstock and Sycamore 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
Woodstock
Sycamore
Opportunity
42 · Bottom 21%
vs49 · Bottom 36%
Growth
52 · Top 46%
vs52 · Top 47%
Climate
59 · Bottom 12%
vs58 · Bottom 10%
Physical resilience
74 · Top 32%
vs80 · Top 24%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs98 · Top 12%
Schools
62 · Top 37%
vs56 · Top 44%
Access
81 · Bottom 23%
vs78 · Bottom 20%
Economic stability
78 · Top 11%
vs74 · Top 20%
Measured values
| Metric | Woodstock | Sycamore | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,147 | 18,559 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $82,758 | $84,120 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,631 | $43,190 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,982/sq mi | 1,834/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $245,700 | $265,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,212 | $1,140 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 71.8% | 71.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% | 4.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.0% | -1.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.6% | 46.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.0% | 8.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 75 | 70 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 3.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 14°F | 13°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 39.3" | 37.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 35 mi | 40 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.0 min | 28.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.7 | 36.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 12 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.28 | 14.20 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 24.6% | 25.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 38.9% | 27.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 44.1% | 27.1% | 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: Woodstock, IL · Sycamore, IL · How this is calculated: methodology