Aurora, IL
Census place 1703012 · pop 179,898
Illinois's second-largest city, the "City of Lights" for adopting all-electric streetlights in 1881 and the fictional setting of Wayne's World.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
-10.0% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
2.28% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
15.2% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$2,297/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
27 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
95/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
269 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
45 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
35.9% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
25.6% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
3.6% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$274,800 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities
1247 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities
66.4% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
9.5% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
92.8% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 0.43 · better than most cities
Gini 0.42 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
11.7% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
38.5% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
15.9% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$93,633 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
0 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
Frequently asked
- Is Aurora, IL a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Aurora scores 47/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is unhealthy air days and its weakest is population growth (5yr). Illinois overall ranks #39 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Aurora, IL?
- Aurora reports 269 violent crimes per 100k and 1247 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Aurora, IL expensive to live in?
- Aurora has a median home value of $274,800 and typical rent around $2,297/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Aurora, IL?
- Its weakest measured area is population growth (5yr) (-10.0%) — 2/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Aurora, IL best at?
- Its strongest measured area is unhealthy air days (0 days) — 85/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.) Fun fact: Illinois's second-largest city, the "City of Lights" for adopting all-electric streetlights in 1881 and the fictional setting of Wayne's World.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.
