?WhereToHQ

Residential comparison · 13 facts

North Chicago, IL vs Waukegan, IL

Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.

A household earning $85,000 in North Chicago needs about $81,000 in Waukegan to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Waukegan, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $89,000 in North Chicago.

A few differences

North Chicago vs Waukegan · facet by facet
FacetNorth Chicago, ILWaukegan, IL
Median home price$159,600$190,900
2-bedroom rent$1,380/mo$1,222/mo
Property tax rate2.1%2.1%
State & local income tax4.95%4.95%
Sales tax8.85%8.85%
Cost of living index8787
Groceries index9898
Utilities$165/mo$165/mo
Median household income$60,172$71,919
Unemployment rate4.7%4.7%
Crime index50/10050/100
School rating6.3/106.3/10
Sunny days / year190 days190 days

Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.

Full profiles: North Chicago, IL · Waukegan, IL
Questions & answers
Is North Chicago cheaper than Waukegan?
North Chicago and Waukegan display the same day-to-day cost index; the differences show up facet by facet in the table above.
What household income in Waukegan equals $85,000 in North Chicago?
A household earning $85,000 in North Chicago needs about $81,000 in Waukegan to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Waukegan lifestyle costs about $89,000 in North Chicago.