Aurora vs Naperville
Aurora, Illinois versus Naperville, Illinois: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Aurora and Naperville score about the same overall (45 vs 43 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Aurora | Naperville |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $86k | $144k |
| Cost of Living | $61k | $66k |
| Home Value | $242k | $483k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $3k |
| Property Tax Rate | 2.50% | 2.07% |
| Income Tax | 5.00% | 5.00% |
| Sales Tax | 8.86% | 8.86% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 14.96% | 14.88% |
| Unemployment | 5.6% | 4.5% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 23°F | 24°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 74°F | 74°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 39.5 in | 40.3 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 27.9 in | 24.3 in |
| Sunny Days | 245 days | 245 days |
| Summer Humidity | 63°F | 63°F |
| Comfortable Days | 94 days | 94 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 33.5 | 51.9 |
| Air Quality | 52 AQI | 53 AQI |
| School Quality | 68.1 | 68.1 |
| Violent Crime | 127/100k | 789/100k |
| Property Crime | 87/100k | 824/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 181,405 | 149,089 |
| Median Age | 35.4 | 39.5 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.70 | 0.50 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.99 | 0.98 |
| Political Leaning | Even | D+18 |
| White (%) | 33.3% | 63.6% |
| Black (%) | 10.3% | 4.6% |
| Hispanic (%) | 42.3% | 6.9% |
| Asian (%) | 10.7% | 21.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.4% | 3.9% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 29 min | 32 min |
| Walkability | 9.7/20 | 8.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 26 mi | 21 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 89.4% | 96.5% |
| Amenities Nearby | 19.35 | 37.02 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Aurora or Naperville more affordable?
- Aurora has the lower cost of living: its index is $61k, compared with Aurora's $61k and Naperville's $66k. Median rent is $1k in Aurora versus $2k in Naperville.
- Is Aurora or Naperville safer?
- Aurora has the lower violent crime rate. Aurora reports 127/100k and Naperville reports 789/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Aurora or Naperville?
- The median home value is $242k in Aurora and $483k in Naperville, so homes are more affordable in Aurora.