St. Charles vs West Chicago
St. Charles, Illinois versus West Chicago, Illinois: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
West Chicago edges out St. Charles on overall objective livability (47 vs 43 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | St. Charles | West Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $110k | $92k |
| Cost of Living | $61k | $66k |
| Home Value | $351k | $297k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 2.35% | 2.73% |
| Income Tax | 5.00% | 5.00% |
| Sales Tax | 8.86% | 8.86% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 15.42% | 16.71% |
| Unemployment | 3.9% | 10.4% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 23°F | 23°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 74°F | 74°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 38.5 in | 33.2 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 46.2 in | 46.2 in |
| Sunny Days | 245 days | 245 days |
| Summer Humidity | 63°F | 63°F |
| Comfortable Days | 96 days | 97 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 66.5 | 49.2 |
| Air Quality | 51 AQI | 51 AQI |
| School Quality | 79.3 | 81.8 |
| Violent Crime | 855/100k | 4/100k |
| Property Crime | 1204/100k | 75/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 32,776 | 25,632 |
| Median Age | 41.8 | 35.8 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.31 | 0.67 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.98 | 1.02 |
| Political Leaning | D+15 | D+18 |
| White (%) | 79.0% | 35.4% |
| Black (%) | 3.5% | 3.1% |
| Hispanic (%) | 9.6% | 48.5% |
| Asian (%) | 4.4% | 10.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.5% | 3.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 28 min | 27 min |
| Walkability | 8.8/20 | 8.5/20 |
| Airport Distance | 21 mi | 17 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 95.0% | 92.4% |
| Amenities Nearby | 82.38 | 82.71 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | 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 St. Charles or West Chicago more affordable?
- St. Charles has the lower cost of living: its index is $61k, compared with St. Charles's $61k and West Chicago's $66k. Median rent is $2k in St. Charles versus $1k in West Chicago.
- Is St. Charles or West Chicago safer?
- West Chicago has the lower violent crime rate. St. Charles reports 855/100k and West Chicago reports 4/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in St. Charles or West Chicago?
- The median home value is $351k in St. Charles and $297k in West Chicago, so homes are more affordable in West Chicago.