Population
Kalamazoo
73,132
Waterloo
66,947
Median Income
Kalamazoo
$48,965
Waterloo
$56,344
Home Value
Kalamazoo
$164,500
Waterloo
$150,200
Rent
Kalamazoo
$1,031
Waterloo
$896
Crime Rate
Kalamazoo
5.14
Waterloo
4.76
Cost of Living
Kalamazoo
91.2
Waterloo
91.8
Avg Temp
Kalamazoo
N/A
Waterloo
N/A
Unemployment
Kalamazoo
6.9%
Waterloo
6.4%
How Similar Are Kalamazoo & Waterloo?
Waterloo is Kalamazoo's #2 most similar city
6 of 10 key metrics match within 10%
Population
Kalamazoo
73,132
Waterloo
66,947
Both cities have similar populations — Kalamazoo at 73,132 and Waterloo at 66,947.
Violent Crime
Kalamazoo
5.14
Waterloo
4.76
Both cities have similar violent crime — just a 7% difference.
Property Crime
Kalamazoo
28.60
Waterloo
24.45
Kalamazoo has a 15% higher property crime than Waterloo.
Political Leaning
Kalamazoo
40.3%
Waterloo
48.8%
Both cities lean Democratic, but Waterloo has a stronger Democratic lean (17% difference).
Unemployment
Kalamazoo
6.9%
Waterloo
6.4%
Both cities have similar unemployment — just a 7% difference.
Median Income
Kalamazoo
$48,965
Waterloo
$56,344
Waterloo has a 13% higher median income than Kalamazoo.
Home Values
Kalamazoo
$164,500
Waterloo
$150,200
Both cities have similar home values — just a 9% difference.
Education
Kalamazoo
19.8%
Waterloo
14.9%
Kalamazoo has a 25% higher education than Waterloo.
Demographics
Kalamazoo
62.9%
Waterloo
69.1%
Both cities have similar demographics — just a 9% difference.
Cost of Living
Kalamazoo
91.2
Waterloo
91.8
Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 1% difference.
6 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Kalamazoo and Waterloo share several key characteristics.
At a Glance
0
Kalamazoo
0
Waterloo
Waterloo leads in 3 of 8 categories
Cost of Living & Affordability — Kalamazoo leads
Source: City Stats Index / HUDWaterloo has a fair market rent (1br) of $801 vs $998 in Kalamazoo (25% lower). Kalamazoo scores 74.3 on the transportation index (100 = national avg) vs 86.1 in Waterloo. Waterloo scores 94.5 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 106.8 in Kalamazoo.
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 — Waterloo leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSWaterloo has a owner-occupied of 61.1% compared to 42.9% in Kalamazoo. Waterloo has a single-family homes of 72.9% compared to 53.7% in Kalamazoo. Waterloo has a median rent of $896 vs $1,031 in Kalamazoo (15% lower).
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Property Tax
Owner-Occupied
Vacancy Rate
Single-Family Homes
Jobs & Economy — Waterloo leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSWaterloo has a poverty rate of 16.4% compared to 27.0% in Kalamazoo. Kalamazoo has a work from home of 8.9% compared to 7.1% in Waterloo. Waterloo has a per capita income of $33,372 vs $27,514 in Kalamazoo (18% higher).
Median Household Income
Per Capita Income
Poverty Rate
Unemployment Rate
Labor Force
Mean Commute
Work from Home
Private Sector
Government Sector
Crime & Safety — Waterloo leads
Source: FBI UCRWaterloo has a robbery rate (per 1k) of 0.35 compared to 0.78 in Kalamazoo. Kalamazoo has a murder rate (per 1k) of 0.00 compared to 0.05 in Waterloo. Waterloo has a property crime clearance of 23.4% compared to 11.8% in Kalamazoo.
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 BureauKalamazoo has a bachelor's degree or higher of 19.8% compared to 14.9% in Waterloo. Waterloo has a high school diploma or higher of 38.3% compared to 32.0% in Kalamazoo.
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 ACSKalamazoo has a population of 73,132, about 1.1x the size of Waterloo (66,947). Kalamazoo skews younger with a median age of 26.8 vs 36.6.
Population
Median Age
Avg Household Size
Married Population
Foreign Born
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Kalamazoo
Waterloo
Healthcare
Source: CMS Hospital CompareWaterloo: 5 vs Kalamazoo: 4 for with emergency services. Kalamazoo: 3.7 vs Waterloo: 3.5 for avg cms rating (out of 5).
Nearby Hospitals
Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)
With Emergency Services
Transportation & Commute
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSKalamazoo has a public transit of 2.2% compared to 0.4% in Waterloo. Kalamazoo has a work from home of 8.9% compared to 7.1% in Waterloo. Waterloo has a bicycle of 0.4% compared to 0.3% in Kalamazoo.
Mean Commute Time
Drive Alone
Public Transit
Bicycle
Work from Home
Airports
Cities Similar to Kalamazoo, MI
Compare Kalamazoo 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.