Sycamore vs Waterman
Sycamore, 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.
Sycamore and Waterman score about the same overall (45 vs 48 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Sycamore | Waterman |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $81k | $87k |
| Cost of Living | $50k | $50k |
| Home Value | $250k | $194k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $853 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $5k | $430 |
| Property Tax Rate | 2.40% | 2.28% |
| Income Tax | 5.00% | 5.00% |
| Sales Tax | 8.86% | 8.86% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 15.34% | 12.99% |
| Unemployment | 3.2% | 2.5% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 22°F | 22°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 72°F | 72°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 38.0 in | 37.6 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 38.9 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 | 69.6 | 67.3 |
| Air Quality | 52 AQI | 51 AQI |
| School Quality | 82.2 | 61.9 |
| Violent Crime | 766/100k | 0/100k |
| Property Crime | 1178/100k | 0/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 18,171 | 1,510 |
| Median Age | 37.9 | 36.2 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.19 | 0.28 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.87 | 0.79 |
| Political Leaning | Even | Even |
| White (%) | 85.5% | 79.5% |
| Black (%) | 3.3% | 1.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 8.9% | 9.2% |
| Asian (%) | 1.2% | 0.9% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 1.0% | 8.5% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 25 min | 40 min |
| Walkability | 8.9/20 | 6.3/20 |
| Airport Distance | 40 mi | 46 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 95.2% | 94.0% |
| Amenities Nearby | 28.62 | 26.49 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | 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 Sycamore or Waterman more affordable?
- Waterman has the lower cost of living: its index is $50k, compared with Sycamore's $50k and Waterman's $50k. Median rent is $1k in Sycamore versus $853 in Waterman.
- Is Sycamore or Waterman safer?
- Waterman has the lower violent crime rate. Sycamore reports 766/100k and Waterman reports 0/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Sycamore or Waterman?
- The median home value is $250k in Sycamore and $194k in Waterman, so homes are more affordable in Waterman.