Population

Evanston

76,552

Wake Forest

51,199

Median Income

Evanston

$95,766

Wake Forest

$120,777

Home Value

Evanston

$472,300

Wake Forest

$435,000

Rent

Evanston

$1,698

Wake Forest

$1,458

Crime Rate

Evanston

1.42

Wake Forest

1.47

Cost of Living

Evanston

165.2

Wake Forest

168.4

Avg Temp

Evanston

N/A

Wake Forest

N/A

Unemployment

Evanston

6.3%

Wake Forest

4.5%

Loading map…

How Similar Are Evanston & Wake Forest?

Wake Forest is Evanston's #13 most similar city

4/10

4 of 10 key metrics match within 10%

Population

👥

Evanston

76,552

vs

Wake Forest

51,199

Different · 33% difference

Evanston has a 33% larger population than Wake Forest.

Violent Crime

Evanston

1.42

vs

Wake Forest

1.47

Match · 4% difference
🚨

Both cities have similar violent crime — just a 4% difference.

Property Crime

🔒

Evanston

27.42

vs

Wake Forest

13.05

Different · 52% difference

Evanston's property crime is significantly higher than Wake Forest's — 52% difference.

Political Leaning

Evanston

28.4%

vs

Wake Forest

36.4%

Different · 22% difference
🗳️

Both cities lean Democratic, but Wake Forest has a stronger Democratic lean (22% difference).

Unemployment

💼

Evanston

6.3%

vs

Wake Forest

4.5%

Different · 28% difference

Evanston has a 28% higher unemployment than Wake Forest.

Median Income

Evanston

$95,766

vs

Wake Forest

$120,777

Different · 21% difference
💰

Wake Forest has a 21% higher median income than Evanston.

Home Values

🏠

Evanston

$472,300

vs

Wake Forest

$435,000

Match · 8% difference

Both cities have similar home values — just a 8% difference.

Education

Evanston

46.5%

vs

Wake Forest

38.4%

Different · 17% difference
🎓

Evanston has a 17% higher education than Wake Forest.

Demographics

🌍

Evanston

60.9%

vs

Wake Forest

67.3%

Match · 10% difference

Both cities have similar demographics — just a 10% difference.

Cost of Living

Evanston

165.2

vs

Wake Forest

168.4

Match · 2% difference
💵

Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 2% difference.

4 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Evanston and Wake Forest share several key characteristics.

At a Glance

0

Evanston

vsof 8

0

Wake Forest

Evanston leads in 3 of 8 categories

Cost of Living & Affordability — Evanston leads

Source: City Stats Index / HUD

Evanston scores 115.9 on the transportation index (100 = national avg) vs 184.6 in Wake Forest. Wake Forest scores 183.0 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 232.9 in Evanston. Evanston scores 123.2 on the food index (100 = national avg) vs 142.3 in Wake Forest.

Overall Cost Index

Evanston165.2
Wake Forest168.4

Housing Index

Evanston232.9
Wake Forest183.0

Food Index

Evanston123.2
Wake Forest142.3

Transportation Index

Evanston115.9
Wake Forest184.6

Healthcare Index

Evanston118.6
Wake Forest133.9

Utilities Index

Evanston140.5
Wake Forest142.0

Living Wage (1 Adult)

Evanston$72,702
Wake Forest$74,075

Living Wage (Family of 4)

Evanston$171,841
Wake Forest$175,086

Fair Market Rent (1BR)

Evanston$1,581
Wake Forest$1,596

Fair Market Rent (2BR)

Evanston$1,781
Wake Forest$1,750

Housing Market — Wake Forest leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Wake Forest has a median property tax of $3,626 vs $8,953 in Evanston (147% lower). Wake Forest has a single-family homes of 79.0% compared to 37.0% in Evanston. Wake Forest has a vacancy rate of 5.1% compared to 7.5% in Evanston.

Median Home Value

Evanston$472,300
Wake Forest$435,000

Median Rent

Evanston$1,698
Wake Forest$1,458

Median Property Tax

Evanston$8,953
Wake Forest$3,626

Owner-Occupied

Evanston55.8%
Wake Forest74.7%

Vacancy Rate

Evanston7.5%
Wake Forest5.1%

Single-Family Homes

Evanston37.0%
Wake Forest79.0%

Jobs & Economy

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Wake Forest has a poverty rate of 3.0% compared to 11.9% in Evanston. Evanston: 40,563 vs Wake Forest: 26,822 for labor force. Wake Forest has a unemployment rate of 4.5% compared to 6.3% in Evanston.

Median Household Income

Evanston$95,766
Wake Forest$120,777

Per Capita Income

Evanston$65,988
Wake Forest$49,241

Poverty Rate

Evanston11.9%
Wake Forest3.0%

Unemployment Rate

Evanston6.3%
Wake Forest4.5%

Labor Force

Evanston40,563
Wake Forest26,822

Mean Commute

Evanston21 min
Wake ForestN/A

Work from Home

Evanston25.5%
Wake Forest25.1%

Private Sector

Evanston86.3%
Wake Forest88.0%

Government Sector

Evanston44.8%
Wake Forest41.9%

Crime & Safety — Wake Forest leads

Source: FBI UCR

Wake Forest has a robbery rate (per 1k) of 0.09 compared to 0.55 in Evanston. Wake Forest has a burglary rate (per 1k) of 1.04 compared to 4.52 in Evanston. Wake Forest has a property crime rate (per 1k) of 13.05 compared to 27.42 in Evanston.

Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)

Evanston1.42
Wake Forest1.47

Property Crime Rate (per 1K)

Evanston27.42
Wake Forest13.05

Murder Rate (per 1K)

Evanston0.00
Wake Forest0.04

Robbery Rate (per 1K)

Evanston0.55
Wake Forest0.09

Assault Rate (per 1K)

Evanston0.55
Wake Forest1.29

Burglary Rate (per 1K)

Evanston4.52
Wake Forest1.04

Larceny Rate (per 1K)

Evanston20.55
Wake Forest11.17

Violent Crime Clearance

Evanston30.5%
Wake Forest36.6%

Property Crime Clearance

Evanston7.9%
Wake Forest13.9%

Weather & Climate

Source: NOAA / Open-Meteo

Avg Annual Temperature

EvanstonN/A
Wake ForestN/A

Avg Annual High

EvanstonN/A
Wake ForestN/A

Avg Annual Low

EvanstonN/A
Wake ForestN/A

Sunny Days per Year

EvanstonN/A
Wake ForestN/A

Annual Rainfall

EvanstonN/A
Wake ForestN/A

Annual Snowfall

EvanstonN/A
Wake ForestN/A

Avg Humidity

EvanstonN/A
Wake ForestN/A

Schools & Education — Evanston leads

Source: NCES / U.S. Census Bureau

Evanston has a bachelor's degree or higher of 46.5% compared to 38.4% in Wake Forest. Evanston has a high school diploma or higher of 53.5% compared to 47.2% in Wake Forest.

Public Schools

Evanston0
Wake Forest0

Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

EvanstonN/A
Wake ForestN/A

Colleges & Universities

Evanston0
Wake Forest0

Bachelor's Degree or Higher

Evanston46.5%
Wake Forest38.4%

High School Diploma or Higher

Evanston53.5%
Wake Forest47.2%

Demographics & Community

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Evanston has a population of 76,552, about 1.5x the size of Wake Forest (51,199).

Population

Evanston76,552
Wake Forest51,199

Median Age

Evanston38
Wake Forest39

Avg Household Size

Evanston2.2
Wake Forest2.8

Married Population

Evanston36.7%
Wake Forest46.4%

Foreign Born

Evanston16.5%
Wake Forest7.8%

White

Evanston60.9%
Wake Forest67.3%

Black

Evanston14.8%
Wake Forest19.8%

Hispanic

Evanston12.3%
Wake Forest7.8%

Asian

Evanston9.0%
Wake Forest2.4%

Evanston

Wake Forest

Healthcare

Source: CMS Hospital Compare

Evanston: 5 vs Wake Forest: 2 for with emergency services. Wake Forest: 4.5 vs Evanston: 2.5 for avg cms rating (out of 5).

Nearby Hospitals

Evanston5
Wake Forest5

Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)

Evanston2.5
Wake Forest4.5

With Emergency Services

Evanston5
Wake Forest2

Transportation & Commute — Evanston leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Evanston has a public transit of 13.0% compared to 0.1% in Wake Forest. Wake Forest has a drive alone of 68.5% compared to 42.0% in Evanston. Evanston has a work from home of 25.5% compared to 25.1% in Wake Forest.

Mean Commute Time

Evanston21 min
Wake ForestN/A

Drive Alone

Evanston42.0%
Wake Forest68.5%

Public Transit

Evanston13.0%
Wake Forest0.1%

Bicycle

Evanston3.2%
Wake Forest0.0%

Work from Home

Evanston25.5%
Wake Forest25.1%

Airports

Evanston0
Wake Forest0

Cities Similar to Evanston, IL

Compare Evanston 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.

PopulationIncomeHome ValueSafetyEducationMedian AgeClimateCost of Living

Explore These Cities

Compare Different Cities