DeKalb vs Waterman
DeKalb, Illinois versus Waterman, Illinois: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Waterman edges out DeKalb on overall objective livability (48 vs 40 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | DeKalb | Waterman |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $47k | $87k |
| Cost of Living | $50k | $50k |
| Home Value | $192k | $194k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $853 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $7k | $430 |
| Property Tax Rate | 2.93% | 2.28% |
| Income Tax | 5.00% | 5.00% |
| Sales Tax | 8.86% | 8.86% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 19.79% | 12.99% |
| Unemployment | 10.7% | 2.5% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 22°F | 22°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 72°F | 72°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 36.9 in | 37.6 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 33.1 in | 29.8 in |
| Sunny Days | 245 days | 245 days |
| Summer Humidity | 63°F | 63°F |
| Comfortable Days | 94 days | 94 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 67.8 | 67.3 |
| Air Quality | 51 AQI | 51 AQI |
| School Quality | 74.9 | 61.9 |
| Violent Crime | 3169/100k | 0/100k |
| Property Crime | 2584/100k | 0/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 40,697 | 1,510 |
| Median Age | 24.9 | 36.2 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.54 | 0.28 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.99 | 0.79 |
| Political Leaning | Even | Even |
| White (%) | 59.5% | 79.5% |
| Black (%) | 14.5% | 1.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 16.1% | 9.2% |
| Asian (%) | 4.7% | 0.9% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.1% | 8.5% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 23 min | 40 min |
| Walkability | 8.3/20 | 6.3/20 |
| Airport Distance | 43 mi | 46 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 89.8% | 94.0% |
| Amenities Nearby | 27.52 | 26.49 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | 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 DeKalb or Waterman more affordable?
- Waterman has the lower cost of living: its index is $50k, compared with DeKalb's $50k and Waterman's $50k. Median rent is $1k in DeKalb versus $853 in Waterman.
- Is DeKalb or Waterman safer?
- Waterman has the lower violent crime rate. DeKalb reports 3169/100k and Waterman reports 0/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in DeKalb or Waterman?
- The median home value is $192k in DeKalb and $194k in Waterman, so homes are more affordable in DeKalb.