Population
Elgin
114,106
Lancaster
40,753
Median Income
Elgin
$88,316
Lancaster
$67,584
Home Value
Elgin
$252,400
Lancaster
$229,900
Rent
Elgin
$1,260
Lancaster
$1,627
Crime Rate
Elgin
2.67
Lancaster
4.10
Cost of Living
Elgin
135.5
Lancaster
124.1
Avg Temp
Elgin
N/A
Lancaster
N/A
Unemployment
Elgin
6.3%
Lancaster
6.8%
How Similar Are Elgin & Lancaster?
Lancaster is Elgin's #16 most similar city
4 of 10 key metrics match within 10%
Population
Elgin
114,106
Lancaster
40,753
Elgin (114,106) is about 2.8x larger than Lancaster (40,753).
Violent Crime
Elgin
2.67
Lancaster
4.10
Lancaster has a 35% higher violent crime than Elgin.
Property Crime
Elgin
11.02
Lancaster
31.27
Lancaster's property crime is significantly higher than Elgin's — 65% difference.
Political Leaning
Elgin
28.4%
Lancaster
38.0%
Both cities lean Democratic, but Lancaster has a stronger Democratic lean (25% difference).
Unemployment
Elgin
6.3%
Lancaster
6.8%
Both cities have similar unemployment — just a 7% difference.
Median Income
Elgin
$88,316
Lancaster
$67,584
Elgin has a 23% higher median income than Lancaster.
Home Values
Elgin
$252,400
Lancaster
$229,900
Both cities have similar home values — just a 9% difference.
Education
Elgin
16.9%
Lancaster
16.3%
Both cities have similar education — just a 3% difference.
Demographics
Elgin
45.4%
Lancaster
16.2%
Elgin's demographics is significantly higher than Lancaster's — 64% difference.
Cost of Living
Elgin
135.5
Lancaster
124.1
Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 8% difference.
4 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Elgin and Lancaster share several key characteristics.
At a Glance
0
Elgin
0
Lancaster
Elgin leads in 5 of 8 categories
Cost of Living & Affordability — Lancaster leads
Source: City Stats Index / HUDLancaster scores 103.3 on the transportation index (100 = national avg) vs 135.0 in Elgin. Lancaster scores 101.7 on the food index (100 = national avg) vs 117.5 in Elgin. Lancaster scores 101.3 on the healthcare index (100 = national avg) vs 114.0 in Elgin.
Overall Cost Index
Housing Index
Food Index
Transportation Index
Healthcare Index
Utilities Index
Living Wage (1 Adult)
Living Wage (Family of 4)
Fair Market Rent (1BR)
Fair Market Rent (2BR)
Housing Market — Elgin leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSLancaster has a median property tax of $3,903 vs $6,115 in Elgin (57% lower). Elgin has a vacancy rate of 3.1% compared to 4.7% in Lancaster. Elgin has a median rent of $1,260 vs $1,627 in Lancaster (23% lower).
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Property Tax
Owner-Occupied
Vacancy Rate
Single-Family Homes
Jobs & Economy — Elgin leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSElgin: 61,339 vs Lancaster: 20,172 for labor force. Elgin has a work from home of 11.6% compared to 7.9% in Lancaster. Elgin has a government sector of 49.1% compared to 36.6% in Lancaster.
Median Household Income
Per Capita Income
Poverty Rate
Unemployment Rate
Labor Force
Mean Commute
Work from Home
Private Sector
Government Sector
Crime & Safety — Elgin leads
Source: FBI UCRElgin has a burglary rate (per 1k) of 2.12 compared to 8.72 in Lancaster. Elgin has a murder rate (per 1k) of 0.04 compared to 0.15 in Lancaster. Elgin has a property crime rate (per 1k) of 11.02 compared to 31.27 in Lancaster.
Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)
Property Crime Rate (per 1K)
Murder Rate (per 1K)
Robbery Rate (per 1K)
Assault Rate (per 1K)
Burglary Rate (per 1K)
Larceny Rate (per 1K)
Violent Crime Clearance
Property Crime Clearance
Weather & Climate
Source: NOAA / Open-MeteoAvg Annual Temperature
Avg Annual High
Avg Annual Low
Sunny Days per Year
Annual Rainfall
Annual Snowfall
Avg Humidity
Schools & Education
Source: NCES / U.S. Census BureauElgin has a bachelor's degree or higher of 16.9% compared to 16.3% in Lancaster. Lancaster has a high school diploma or higher of 34.2% compared to 33.6% in Elgin.
Public Schools
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio
Colleges & Universities
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
High School Diploma or Higher
Demographics & Community
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSElgin has a population of 114,106, about 2.8x the size of Lancaster (40,753). Lancaster skews younger with a median age of 34.6 vs 36.3.
Population
Median Age
Avg Household Size
Married Population
Foreign Born
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Elgin
Lancaster
Healthcare — Elgin leads
Source: CMS Hospital CompareElgin: 3.7 vs Lancaster: 3.5 for avg cms rating (out of 5).
Nearby Hospitals
Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)
With Emergency Services
Transportation & Commute — Elgin leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSElgin has a public transit of 1.8% compared to 0.3% in Lancaster. Elgin has a bicycle of 0.5% compared to 0.2% in Lancaster. Elgin has a work from home of 11.6% compared to 7.9% in Lancaster.
Mean Commute Time
Drive Alone
Public Transit
Bicycle
Work from Home
Airports
Cities Similar to Elgin, IL
Compare Elgin against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.
City Comparison
8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.