Aurora, Illinois
Cost of living, housing, income, commute, climate, and safety — compiled for relocators researching Aurora.
Key figures
Each metric shows how Aurora compares with the U.S. baseline (ACS/BLS nationals where available; catalog-city averages for crime, climate, and commute). Income, housing, population, and crime are for the incorporated city (city limits), not the broader metro/MSA — unemployment is county-level (BLS LAUS).
- Population
- 179,867City limits · not metro/MSA
- Median household income
- $90,109Incorporated place (ACS)15% above U.S. avgU.S. $78,538
- Housing cost index
- 100ACS home+rent vs U.S. (100 = avg)Near U.S. avg (100)U.S. 100
- Median home value
- $260,400City limits (ACS)14% below U.S. avgU.S. $303,400
- Median rent
- $1,535City limits (ACS)14% above U.S. avgU.S. $1,348
- Unemployment
- 4.2%County LAUS · not city-onlyNear U.S. avg (4.2 pts)U.S. 4.2 pts
- Avg commute
- 30 min20% above U.S. avgU.S. 25 min
- Walk Score
- 4011% below U.S. avgU.S. 45
- Violent crime rate
- 258.3annualized per 100k · citywide57% below U.S. avgU.S. 602.7
- Property crime rate
- 1008.1annualized per 100k · citywide67% below U.S. avgU.S. 3084.9
- Summer high
- 83°F4.0°F below U.S. avgU.S. 87°F
- Winter low
- 18°F16.0°F below U.S. avgU.S. 34°F
- Annual rainfall
- 33.8 inNear U.S. avg (32.9 in)U.S. 32.9 in
- Sunny days
- 23910% below U.S. avgU.S. 266
Compare Aurora with another city
Great Lakes winters and a dense rail/road grid define regional mobility. Winter lows around 18°F mean heating costs and snow logistics belong on the checklist. Average one-way commute time is about 30 minutes, and Walk Score estimates land around 40/100. Labor-market readings near 4.2% unemployment are neither boom nor bust by national standards. Violent-offense rates around 258.3 per 100k are moderate for a large U.S. city, with meaningful variation by neighborhood.
About 179,867 people live in Aurora, IL. With median income around $90,109 and a cost index of 100, the market reads close to the national housing-cost baseline. Entry home prices around $260,400 still look attainable compared with coastal metros.
Aurora is compact enough that a single wrong neighborhood choice is easy to feel day to day — visit at commute hour before signing. Figures on this page are merged from Census ACS, BLS LAUS, FBI Crime Data Explorer, and NOAA Climate Normals — use them to compare Aurora with nearby alternatives before you relocate.
Nearby & similar cities
Continue researching with these internal links — each page is a full data profile.
Sources
- Census / ACS: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 5-year (Aurora city, 1600000US1703012)
- BLS: BLS LAUS LAUCN170890000000003 (Kane County, May 2026)
- Crime: FBI CIUS Table 8 (2019) city offenses known to law enforcement — rates per 100k; CDE API unavailable at enrich time
- Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 Monthly Normals (USW00004808 CHICAGO AURORA MUNI AP)
Last updated 2026-07-28