DeKalb vs St. Charles
DeKalb, Illinois versus St. Charles, Illinois: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
DeKalb and St. Charles score about the same overall (41 vs 43 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | DeKalb | St. Charles |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $47k | $110k |
| Cost of Living | $50k | $61k |
| Home Value | $192k | $351k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 2.93% | 2.35% |
| Income Tax | 5.00% | 5.00% |
| Sales Tax | 8.86% | 8.86% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 19.79% | 15.42% |
| Unemployment | 10.7% | 3.9% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 22°F | 23°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 72°F | 74°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 36.9 in | 38.5 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 33.1 in | 46.2 in |
| Sunny Days | 245 days | 245 days |
| Summer Humidity | 63°F | 63°F |
| Comfortable Days | 94 days | 96 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 67.8 | 66.5 |
| Air Quality | 51 AQI | 51 AQI |
| School Quality | 74.9 | 79.3 |
| Violent Crime | 3169/100k | 855/100k |
| Property Crime | 2584/100k | 1204/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 40,697 | 32,776 |
| Median Age | 24.9 | 41.8 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.54 | 0.31 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.99 | 0.98 |
| Political Leaning | Even | D+15 |
| White (%) | 59.5% | 79.0% |
| Black (%) | 14.5% | 3.5% |
| Hispanic (%) | 16.1% | 9.6% |
| Asian (%) | 4.7% | 4.4% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.1% | 3.5% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 23 min | 28 min |
| Walkability | 8.3/20 | 8.8/20 |
| Airport Distance | 43 mi | 21 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 89.8% | 95.0% |
| Amenities Nearby | 27.52 | 82.38 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | 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 DeKalb or St. Charles more affordable?
- DeKalb has the lower cost of living: its index is $50k, compared with DeKalb's $50k and St. Charles's $61k. Median rent is $1k in DeKalb versus $2k in St. Charles.
- Is DeKalb or St. Charles safer?
- St. Charles has the lower violent crime rate. DeKalb reports 3169/100k and St. Charles reports 855/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in DeKalb or St. Charles?
- The median home value is $192k in DeKalb and $351k in St. Charles, so homes are more affordable in DeKalb.