Aurora vs Lowell
The short version
- Aurora is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 4% lower than in the Lowell area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $274,800 in Aurora and $429,200 in Lowell.
- Households earn more in Aurora ($93,633 vs $78,658 median).
- Lowell has the warmer winter: January highs of 35°F vs 31°F.
- Lowell gets far more snow: 59 inches a year vs 28.
- Lowell is growing faster: +3.8% since 2020 vs +0.5%.
Side by side
| Aurora, IL | Lowell, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 181,505 | 119,971 |
| Growth since 2020 | +0.5% | +3.8% |
| People per square mile | 4,028 | 8,815 |
| Median age | 35.2 | 35.6 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 39% | 30% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $93,633 | $78,658 |
| Median home value | $274,800 | $429,200 |
| Home value to income | 2.9× | 5.5× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,596 | $1,625 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 103.6 | 108.3 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 112.0 | 148.4 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $77,700 | $81,200 |
| Homeowners | 66% | 43% |
| Top state income tax | 4.95% | 9% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.98% | 6.25% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 27.2 | 27.9 |
| Work from home | 16% | 11% |
| Take public transit | 3% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.8% | 5.7% |
| Poverty rate | 9.5% | 16.9% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 31° / 16° | 35° / 19° |
| July high / low | 84° / 65° | 83° / 63° |
| Precipitation per year | 40 in | 41 in |
| Snowfall per year | 28 in | 59 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 16 | 15 |
| Nights below freezing | 134 | 123 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 94.6 | 96.9 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 30% | 71% |
| Home prices, past year | +6% | +2.8% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +53% | +39.7% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Aurora: July to October. Lowell: May to September.
Full monthly tables: Aurora weather by month and Lowell weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $77,700 in Aurora and $81,200 in Lowell. Moving from Aurora to Lowell, you would need about $78,400 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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