Braidwood vs Coal City
Braidwood, Illinois versus Coal City, Illinois: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Braidwood and Coal City score about the same overall (46 vs 44 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Braidwood | Coal City |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $77k | $78k |
| Cost of Living | $51k | $51k |
| Home Value | $187k | $215k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.89% | 1.97% |
| Income Tax | 5.00% | 5.00% |
| Sales Tax | 8.86% | 8.86% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 12.55% | 13.36% |
| Unemployment | 3.5% | 3.9% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 24°F | 24°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 74°F | 74°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 38.5 in | 38.5 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 18.4 in | 18.4 in |
| Sunny Days | 245 days | 245 days |
| Summer Humidity | 63°F | 63°F |
| Comfortable Days | 90 days | 90 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 53.5 | 67.7 |
| Air Quality | 53 AQI | 53 AQI |
| School Quality | 87.7 | 55.7 |
| Violent Crime | 858/100k | 499/100k |
| Property Crime | 631/100k | 585/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 6,160 | 5,218 |
| Median Age | 44.0 | 40.5 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.11 | 0.12 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.04 | 1.02 |
| Political Leaning | R+26 | R+26 |
| White (%) | 89.5% | 90.9% |
| Black (%) | 0.1% | 1.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 7.4% | 6.3% |
| Asian (%) | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.0% | 1.8% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 29 min | 28 min |
| Walkability | 6.3/20 | 6.1/20 |
| Airport Distance | 43 mi | 44 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 88.5% | 87.5% |
| Amenities Nearby | 84.42 | 76.66 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | 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 Braidwood or Coal City more affordable?
- Coal City has the lower cost of living: its index is $51k, compared with Braidwood's $51k and Coal City's $51k. Median rent is $1k in Braidwood versus $1k in Coal City.
- Is Braidwood or Coal City safer?
- Coal City has the lower violent crime rate. Braidwood reports 858/100k and Coal City reports 499/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Braidwood or Coal City?
- The median home value is $187k in Braidwood and $215k in Coal City, so homes are more affordable in Braidwood.