Bloomington vs Decatur
Bloomington, Illinois versus Decatur, Illinois: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Bloomington and Decatur score about the same overall (48 vs 46 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Bloomington | Decatur |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $73k | $49k |
| Cost of Living | $49k | $46k |
| Home Value | $191k | $97k |
| Monthly Rent | $959 | $770 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 2.26% | 2.19% |
| Income Tax | 5.00% | 5.00% |
| Sales Tax | 8.86% | 8.86% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 13.81% | 12.25% |
| Unemployment | 3.3% | 8.9% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 25°F | 27°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 75°F | 75°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 38.5 in | 40.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 6.5 in | 13.6 in |
| Sunny Days | 236 days | 236 days |
| Summer Humidity | 66°F | 66°F |
| Comfortable Days | 82 days | 86 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 31.8 | 40.8 |
| Air Quality | 50 AQI | 26 AQI |
| School Quality | 52.8 | 69.3 |
| Violent Crime | 855/100k | 2242/100k |
| Property Crime | 412/100k | 2487/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 78,788 | 70,975 |
| Median Age | 35.9 | 39.7 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.41 | 0.47 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.99 | 0.90 |
| Political Leaning | Even | R+18 |
| White (%) | 72.7% | 66.7% |
| Black (%) | 9.4% | 23.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 6.1% | 3.0% |
| Asian (%) | 8.1% | 1.3% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.7% | 5.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 16 min | 18 min |
| Walkability | 14.4/20 | 7.8/20 |
| Airport Distance | 111 mi | 109 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 87.3% | 80.4% |
| Amenities Nearby | 37.32 | 14.23 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | 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 Bloomington or Decatur more affordable?
- Decatur has the lower cost of living: its index is $46k, compared with Bloomington's $49k and Decatur's $46k. Median rent is $959 in Bloomington versus $770 in Decatur.
- Is Bloomington or Decatur safer?
- Bloomington has the lower violent crime rate. Bloomington reports 855/100k and Decatur reports 2242/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Bloomington or Decatur?
- The median home value is $191k in Bloomington and $97k in Decatur, so homes are more affordable in Decatur.