Aurora vs Peoria
The short version
- Peoria is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 12% lower than in the Aurora area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $156,200 in Peoria and $274,800 in Aurora.
- Households earn more in Aurora ($93,633 vs $59,410 median).
- Aurora is growing faster: +0.5% since 2020 vs -2%.
- Commutes are shorter in Peoria (18 vs 27 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Aurora, IL | Peoria, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 181,505 | 110,920 |
| Growth since 2020 | +0.5% | -2% |
| People per square mile | 4,028 | 2,305 |
| Median age | 35.2 | 35.5 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 39% | 38% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $93,633 | $59,410 |
| Median home value | $274,800 | $156,200 |
| Home value to income | 2.9× | 2.6× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,596 | $1,005 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 103.6 | 91.2 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 112.0 | 63.8 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $77,700 | $68,400 |
| Homeowners | 66% | 58% |
| Top state income tax | 4.95% | 4.95% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.98% | 8.98% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 27.2 | 17.9 |
| Work from home | 16% | 12% |
| Take public transit | 3% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.8% | 7.5% |
| Poverty rate | 9.5% | 21% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 31° / 16° | 34° / 18° |
| July high / low | 84° / 65° | 86° / 66° |
| Precipitation per year | 40 in | 38 in |
| Snowfall per year | 28 in | 26 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 16 | 23 |
| Nights below freezing | 134 | 118 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 94.6 | 90.7 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 30% | 60% |
| Home prices, past year | +6% | +3.7% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +53% | +44.6% |
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. Peoria: April, June and August to October.
Full monthly tables: Aurora weather by month and Peoria 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 $68,400 in Peoria. Moving from Aurora to Peoria, you would need about $66,000 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Aurora and Peoria
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Aurora and Peoria.
Which would you pick?
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