Batavia vs West Chicago
Batavia, Illinois versus West Chicago, Illinois: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
West Chicago edges out Batavia on overall objective livability (47 vs 43 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Batavia | West Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $114k | $92k |
| Cost of Living | $61k | $66k |
| Home Value | $350k | $297k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 2.52% | 2.73% |
| Income Tax | 5.00% | 5.00% |
| Sales Tax | 8.86% | 8.86% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 15.66% | 16.71% |
| Unemployment | 3.7% | 10.4% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 23°F | 23°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 74°F | 74°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 39.1 in | 33.2 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 27.9 in | 46.2 in |
| Sunny Days | 245 days | 245 days |
| Summer Humidity | 63°F | 63°F |
| Comfortable Days | 95 days | 97 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 65.8 | 49.2 |
| Air Quality | 51 AQI | 51 AQI |
| School Quality | 75.6 | 81.8 |
| Violent Crime | 1123/100k | 4/100k |
| Property Crime | 1058/100k | 75/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 26,355 | 25,632 |
| Median Age | 38.9 | 35.8 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.27 | 0.67 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.99 | 1.02 |
| Political Leaning | D+15 | D+18 |
| White (%) | 81.1% | 35.4% |
| Black (%) | 2.4% | 3.1% |
| Hispanic (%) | 8.9% | 48.5% |
| Asian (%) | 1.8% | 10.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.9% | 3.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 30 min | 27 min |
| Walkability | 9.6/20 | 8.5/20 |
| Airport Distance | 23 mi | 17 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 90.7% | 92.4% |
| Amenities Nearby | 114.97 | 82.71 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Good |
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 West Chicago more affordable?
- Batavia has the lower cost of living: its index is $61k, compared with Batavia's $61k and West Chicago's $66k. Median rent is $1k in Batavia versus $1k in West Chicago.
- Is Batavia or West Chicago safer?
- West Chicago has the lower violent crime rate. Batavia reports 1123/100k and West Chicago reports 4/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Batavia or West Chicago?
- The median home value is $350k in Batavia and $297k in West Chicago, so homes are more affordable in West Chicago.