Waukegan, Illinois
Among the top 8% of US places for safety & wellbeing.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 7% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade B, better than 66% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade A, better than 92% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade A, better than 88% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade C, better than 48% of US places
- top 6% for walkability
- top 15% for violent crime
- bottom 2% for property tax rate
Waukegan is a mid-size city in Illinois with about 89,000 residents. It grades A for safety & wellbeing and F for affordability. Standout strengths include walkability, violent crime, and property crime. It rates lower on cost of living and property tax rate.
Official websitewaukeganil.gov (opens in new tab)
Climate
Warm summers · Cold winters · Moderate rain · Heavy snow
freez.
very cold
cool
comf.
warm
comf.
cool
cold
v.cold
69%43%clearovercast
Precipitation 3.8 in1.6 in
humid 96%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$66k55th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$62kbetter than 10% of US places
Home Value$164k51st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$1kbetter than 31% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$2kbetter than 35% of US places
Property Tax Rate2.72%better than 2% of US places
Income Tax5.00%better than 47% of US places
Sales Tax8.86%better than 14% of US places
Estimated total tax burden14.70%better than 18% of US places
Unemployment5.3%better than 36% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)24°F19th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)72°F25th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation35.3 in32nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall43.4 inbetter than 19% of US places
Sunny Days245 daysbetter than 64% of US places
Summer Humidity63°Fbetter than 57% of US places
Comfortable Days91 daysbetter than 72% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk37.7better than 84% of US places
Air Quality50 AQIbetter than 23% of US places
School Quality86.4better than 79% of US places
Violent Crime87/100kbetter than 85% of US places
Property Crime118/100kbetter than 85% of US places
Community
Population89,43599th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age34.520th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.76100th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio1.0158th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+2512th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)19.2%7th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)17.8%89th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)52.6%95th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)7.0%93rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)3.4%56th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time27 minbetter than 43% of US places
Walkability12.7/20better than 94% of US places
Airport Distance27 mibetter than 83% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access87.9%better than 56% of US places
Amenities Nearby26.50better than 26% of US places
Park & Nature AccessGoodbetter than 69% of US places
Similar places
Frequently asked questions
- Is Waukegan an affordable place to live?
- Waukegan is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $62k, better than 10% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Waukegan?
- The median home value in Waukegan is $164k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Waukegan?
- Median household income in Waukegan is $66k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Waukegan?
- Median gross rent in Waukegan is $1k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Waukegan safe?
- Waukegan is safer than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 87/100k (better than 85%). Property crime is 118/100k.
- What is the weather like in Waukegan?
- Waukegan averages 72°F in July and 24°F in January, with 35.3 in of annual precipitation and about 245 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Waukegan?
- Public-school quality in Waukegan is above average, scoring better than 79% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Waukegan?
- The average one-way commute in Waukegan is 27 min.
Other places in Lake County
Places near Waukegan
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Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)