Evanston vs Racine
The short version
- Racine is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 7% lower than in the Evanston area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $166,500 in Racine and $481,200 in Evanston.
- Households earn more in Evanston ($96,434 vs $57,740 median).
- Commutes are shorter in Racine (23 vs 28 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Evanston, IL | Racine, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 76,380 | 77,908 |
| Growth since 2020 | -2.2% | -0.5% |
| People per square mile | 9,819 | 5,035 |
| Median age | 38.4 | 34.7 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 70% | 21% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $96,434 | $57,740 |
| Median home value | $481,200 | $166,500 |
| Home value to income | 5.0× | 2.9× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,762 | $1,033 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 103.6 | 96.0 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 112.0 | 92.0 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $77,700 | $72,000 |
| Homeowners | 56% | 60% |
| Top state income tax | 4.95% | 7.65% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.98% | 5.72% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 27.5 | 22.5 |
| Work from home | 29% | 7% |
| Take public transit | 12% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 6.2% | 6.1% |
| Poverty rate | 11.8% | 18.2% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 32° / 19° | 31° / 16° |
| July high / low | 85° / 66° | 81° / 63° |
| Precipitation per year | 38 in | 32 in |
| Snowfall per year | 38 in | 41 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 17 | 7 |
| Nights below freezing | 121 | 126 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Very High | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 100.0 | 85.4 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 30% | n/a |
| Home prices, past year | +6.2% | +7.2% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +45.5% | +56.5% |
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: Evanston: May to October. Racine: May to September.
Full monthly tables: Evanston weather by month and Racine 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 Evanston and $72,000 in Racine. Moving from Evanston to Racine, you would need about $69,500 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Evanston and Racine
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Evanston and Racine.
Which would you pick?
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