Joliet vs Aurora
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $265,800 in Joliet and $274,800 in Aurora.
- Aurora gets far more snow: 28 inches a year vs 17.
Side by side
| Joliet, IL | Aurora, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 152,241 | 181,505 |
| Growth since 2020 | +1.2% | +0.5% |
| People per square mile | 2,297 | 4,028 |
| Median age | 35.8 | 35.2 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26% | 39% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $92,201 | $93,633 |
| Median home value | $265,800 | $274,800 |
| Home value to income | 2.9× | 2.9× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,276 | $1,596 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 103.6 | 103.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 112.0 | 112.0 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $77,700 | $77,700 |
| Homeowners | 74% | 66% |
| Top state income tax | 4.95% | 4.95% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.98% | 8.98% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 28.8 | 27.2 |
| Work from home | 9% | 16% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 3% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.5% | 5.8% |
| Poverty rate | 11.1% | 9.5% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 31° / 17° | 31° / 16° |
| July high / low | 84° / 64° | 84° / 65° |
| Precipitation per year | 38 in | 40 in |
| Snowfall per year | 17 in | 28 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 15 | 16 |
| Nights below freezing | 126 | 134 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 97.3 | 94.6 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 30% | 30% |
| Home prices, past year | +6.2% | +6% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +45.5% | +53% |
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: Joliet: June and August to October. Aurora: July to October.
Full monthly tables: Joliet weather by month and Aurora 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 Joliet and $77,700 in Aurora. Moving from Joliet to Aurora, you would need about $75,000 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Joliet and Aurora
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Joliet and Aurora.
Which would you pick?
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