Joliet vs Oswego
Joliet, Illinois versus Oswego, Illinois: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Joliet and Oswego score about the same overall (40 vs 42 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Joliet | Oswego |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $85k | $112k |
| Cost of Living | $61k | $61k |
| Home Value | $234k | $300k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 2.28% | 2.65% |
| Income Tax | 5.00% | 5.00% |
| Sales Tax | 8.86% | 8.86% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 14.21% | 15.03% |
| Unemployment | 6.2% | 2.9% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 24°F | 23°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 74°F | 73°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 40.2 in | 39.5 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 16.9 in | 27.9 in |
| Sunny Days | 245 days | 245 days |
| Summer Humidity | 63°F | 63°F |
| Comfortable Days | 91 days | 94 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 73.6 | 73.5 |
| Air Quality | 54 AQI | 52 AQI |
| School Quality | 68.4 | 61.7 |
| Violent Crime | 1544/100k | 473/100k |
| Property Crime | 1030/100k | 518/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 150,221 | 34,810 |
| Median Age | 34.3 | 39.6 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.62 | 0.45 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.00 | 0.97 |
| Political Leaning | Even | Even |
| White (%) | 44.3% | 65.1% |
| Black (%) | 16.9% | 9.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 33.5% | 17.5% |
| Asian (%) | 1.9% | 2.9% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.4% | 4.6% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 30 min | 31 min |
| Walkability | 10.7/20 | 6.8/20 |
| Airport Distance | 29 mi | 30 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 90.5% | 95.4% |
| Amenities Nearby | 9.99 | 64.06 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | 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 Joliet or Oswego more affordable?
- Oswego has the lower cost of living: its index is $61k, compared with Joliet's $61k and Oswego's $61k. Median rent is $1k in Joliet versus $2k in Oswego.
- Is Joliet or Oswego safer?
- Oswego has the lower violent crime rate. Joliet reports 1544/100k and Oswego reports 473/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Joliet or Oswego?
- The median home value is $234k in Joliet and $300k in Oswego, so homes are more affordable in Joliet.