Batavia vs DeKalb
Batavia, Illinois versus DeKalb, Illinois: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Batavia and DeKalb score about the same overall (43 vs 41 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Batavia | DeKalb |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $114k | $47k |
| Cost of Living | $61k | $50k |
| Home Value | $350k | $192k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 2.52% | 2.93% |
| Income Tax | 5.00% | 5.00% |
| Sales Tax | 8.86% | 8.86% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 15.66% | 19.79% |
| Unemployment | 3.7% | 10.7% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 23°F | 22°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 74°F | 72°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 39.1 in | 36.9 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 27.9 in | 33.1 in |
| Sunny Days | 245 days | 245 days |
| Summer Humidity | 63°F | 63°F |
| Comfortable Days | 95 days | 94 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 65.8 | 67.8 |
| Air Quality | 51 AQI | 51 AQI |
| School Quality | 75.6 | 74.9 |
| Violent Crime | 1123/100k | 3169/100k |
| Property Crime | 1058/100k | 2584/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 26,355 | 40,697 |
| Median Age | 38.9 | 24.9 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.27 | 0.54 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.99 | 0.99 |
| Political Leaning | D+15 | Even |
| White (%) | 81.1% | 59.5% |
| Black (%) | 2.4% | 14.5% |
| Hispanic (%) | 8.9% | 16.1% |
| Asian (%) | 1.8% | 4.7% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.9% | 5.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 30 min | 23 min |
| Walkability | 9.6/20 | 8.3/20 |
| Airport Distance | 23 mi | 43 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 90.7% | 89.8% |
| Amenities Nearby | 114.97 | 27.52 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Excellent |
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 Batavia or DeKalb more affordable?
- DeKalb has the lower cost of living: its index is $50k, compared with Batavia's $61k and DeKalb's $50k. Median rent is $1k in Batavia versus $1k in DeKalb.
- Is Batavia or DeKalb safer?
- Batavia has the lower violent crime rate. Batavia reports 1123/100k and DeKalb reports 3169/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Batavia or DeKalb?
- The median home value is $350k in Batavia and $192k in DeKalb, so homes are more affordable in DeKalb.