Brooklyn Park vs Waukegan
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $190,900 in Waukegan and $336,200 in Brooklyn Park.
- Households earn more in Brooklyn Park ($89,891 vs $71,919 median).
- Waukegan has the warmer winter: January highs of 31°F vs 24°F.
- Commutes are shorter in Brooklyn Park (21 vs 26 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Brooklyn Park, MN | Waukegan, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 83,543 | 87,940 |
| Growth since 2020 | -3.4% | -1.5% |
| People per square mile | 3,204 | 3,625 |
| Median age | 35.2 | 35.5 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33% | 21% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $89,891 | $71,919 |
| Median home value | $336,200 | $190,900 |
| Home value to income | 3.7× | 2.7× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,325 | $1,205 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 104.8 | 103.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 111.8 | 112.0 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $78,600 | $77,700 |
| Homeowners | 70% | 50% |
| Top state income tax | 9.85% | 4.95% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.14% | 8.98% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 21.3 | 26.1 |
| Work from home | 15% | 8% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4% | 6.4% |
| Poverty rate | 9.5% | 15.3% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 24° / 9° | 31° / 16° |
| July high / low | 83° / 65° | 81° / 62° |
| Precipitation per year | 32 in | 35 in |
| Snowfall per year | 51 in | 43 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 13 | 9 |
| Nights below freezing | 147 | 132 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 98.3 | 96.0 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 55% | 30% |
| Home prices, past year | +2.6% | +5.2% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +27.3% | +51.8% |
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: Brooklyn Park: May and July to September. Waukegan: May to September.
Full monthly tables: Brooklyn Park weather by month and Waukegan weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $78,600 in Brooklyn Park and $77,700 in Waukegan. Moving from Brooklyn Park to Waukegan, you would need about $74,100 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Brooklyn Park and Waukegan
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Brooklyn Park and Waukegan.
Which would you pick?
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