Evanston vs Woodbury
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $450,200 in Woodbury and $481,200 in Evanston.
- Households earn more in Woodbury ($125,310 vs $96,434 median).
- Evanston has the warmer winter: January highs of 32°F vs 24°F.
- Woodbury gets far more snow: 51 inches a year vs 38.
- Woodbury is growing faster: +8.6% since 2020 vs -2.2%.
- Commutes are shorter in Woodbury (24 vs 28 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Evanston, IL | Woodbury, MN | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 76,380 | 81,558 |
| Growth since 2020 | -2.2% | +8.6% |
| People per square mile | 9,819 | 2,337 |
| Median age | 38.4 | 38.0 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 70% | 61% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $96,434 | $125,310 |
| Median home value | $481,200 | $450,200 |
| Home value to income | 5.0× | 3.6× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,762 | $1,908 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 103.6 | 104.8 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 112.0 | 111.8 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $77,700 | $78,600 |
| Homeowners | 56% | 78% |
| Top state income tax | 4.95% | 9.85% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.98% | 8.14% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 27.5 | 23.9 |
| Work from home | 29% | 27% |
| Take public transit | 12% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 6.2% | 3.9% |
| Poverty rate | 11.8% | 5.3% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 32° / 19° | 24° / 9° |
| July high / low | 85° / 66° | 83° / 65° |
| Precipitation per year | 38 in | 32 in |
| Snowfall per year | 38 in | 51 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 17 | 13 |
| Nights below freezing | 121 | 147 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Very High | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 100.0 | 83.9 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 30% | 55% |
| Home prices, past year | +6.2% | +2.6% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +45.5% | +27.3% |
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. Woodbury: May and July to September.
Full monthly tables: Evanston weather by month and Woodbury 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 $78,600 in Woodbury. Moving from Evanston to Woodbury, you would need about $75,900 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Evanston and Woodbury
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 Woodbury.
Which would you pick?
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