Population

Waukegan

88,919

Zion

24,466

Median Income

Waukegan

$70,578

Zion

$62,574

Home Value

Waukegan

$177,600

Zion

$179,100

Rent

Waukegan

$1,163

Zion

$1,139

Crime Rate

Waukegan

4.45

Zion

4.53

Cost of Living

Waukegan

113.7

Zion

112.9

Avg Temp

Waukegan

N/A

Zion

N/A

Unemployment

Waukegan

5.3%

Zion

6.7%

Loading map…

How Similar Are Waukegan & Zion?

Zion is Waukegan's #10 most similar city

5/10

5 of 10 key metrics match within 10%

Population

👥

Waukegan

88,919

vs

Zion

24,466

Different · 72% difference

Waukegan (88,919) is about 3.6x larger than Zion (24,466).

Violent Crime

Waukegan

4.45

vs

Zion

4.53

Match · 2% difference
🚨

Both cities have similar violent crime — just a 2% difference.

Property Crime

🔒

Waukegan

16.14

vs

Zion

9.93

Different · 38% difference

Waukegan has a 38% higher property crime than Zion.

Political Leaning

Waukegan

38.9%

vs

Zion

38.9%

Match · 0% difference
🗳️

Both cities lean Democratic with similar vote shares — 0% difference.

Unemployment

💼

Waukegan

5.3%

vs

Zion

6.7%

Different · 20% difference

Zion has a 20% higher unemployment than Waukegan.

Median Income

Waukegan

$70,578

vs

Zion

$62,574

Different · 11% difference
💰

Waukegan has a 11% higher median income than Zion.

Home Values

🏠

Waukegan

$177,600

vs

Zion

$179,100

Match · 1% difference

Both cities have similar home values — just a 1% difference.

Education

Waukegan

13.7%

vs

Zion

10.1%

Different · 26% difference
🎓

Waukegan has a 26% higher education than Zion.

Demographics

🌍

Waukegan

33.0%

vs

Zion

33.1%

Match · 0% difference

Both cities have similar demographics — just a 0% difference.

Cost of Living

Waukegan

113.7

vs

Zion

112.9

Match · 1% difference
💵

Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 1% difference.

5 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Waukegan and Zion share several key characteristics.

At a Glance

0

Waukegan

vsof 8

0

Zion

Waukegan leads in 4 of 8 categories

Cost of Living & Affordability — Zion leads

Source: City Stats Index / HUD

Zion scores 97.8 on the food index (100 = national avg) vs 103.9 in Waukegan. Waukegan scores 126.9 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 133.7 in Zion. Zion scores 98.3 on the healthcare index (100 = national avg) vs 103.2 in Waukegan.

Overall Cost Index

Waukegan113.7
Zion112.9

Housing Index

Waukegan126.9
Zion133.7

Food Index

Waukegan103.9
Zion97.8

Transportation Index

Waukegan109.6
Zion111.5

Healthcare Index

Waukegan103.2
Zion98.3

Utilities Index

Waukegan107.8
Zion105.4

Living Wage (1 Adult)

Waukegan$50,048
Zion$49,676

Living Wage (Family of 4)

Waukegan$118,294
Zion$117,416

Fair Market Rent (1BR)

Waukegan$1,581
Zion$1,581

Fair Market Rent (2BR)

Waukegan$1,781
Zion$1,781

Housing Market — Zion leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Waukegan has a vacancy rate of 4.4% compared to 7.4% in Zion. Waukegan has a median property tax of $4,559 vs $6,040 in Zion (25% lower). Zion has a single-family homes of 67.7% compared to 58.5% in Waukegan.

Median Home Value

Waukegan$177,600
Zion$179,100

Median Rent

Waukegan$1,163
Zion$1,139

Median Property Tax

Waukegan$4,559
Zion$6,040

Owner-Occupied

Waukegan50.9%
Zion56.0%

Vacancy Rate

Waukegan4.4%
Zion7.4%

Single-Family Homes

Waukegan58.5%
Zion67.7%

Jobs & Economy — Waukegan leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Waukegan: 47,697 vs Zion: 12,962 for labor force. Waukegan has a unemployment rate of 5.3% compared to 6.7% in Zion. Waukegan has a government sector of 46.6% compared to 41.2% in Zion.

Median Household Income

Waukegan$70,578
Zion$62,574

Per Capita Income

Waukegan$31,667
Zion$32,342

Poverty Rate

Waukegan15.3%
Zion16.5%

Unemployment Rate

Waukegan5.3%
Zion6.7%

Labor Force

Waukegan47,697
Zion12,962

Mean Commute

Waukegan25 min
Zion27 min

Work from Home

Waukegan6.7%
Zion6.7%

Private Sector

Waukegan98.5%
Zion89.1%

Government Sector

Waukegan46.6%
Zion41.2%

Crime & Safety — Zion leads

Source: FBI UCR

Waukegan has a violent crime clearance of 26.0% compared to 13.8% in Zion. Zion has a property crime rate (per 1k) of 9.93 compared to 16.14 in Waukegan. Waukegan has a murder rate (per 1k) of 0.06 compared to 0.12 in Zion.

Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)

Waukegan4.45
Zion4.53

Property Crime Rate (per 1K)

Waukegan16.14
Zion9.93

Murder Rate (per 1K)

Waukegan0.06
Zion0.12

Robbery Rate (per 1K)

Waukegan0.61
Zion0.46

Assault Rate (per 1K)

Waukegan2.90
Zion3.03

Burglary Rate (per 1K)

Waukegan2.71
Zion2.37

Larceny Rate (per 1K)

Waukegan8.19
Zion5.48

Violent Crime Clearance

Waukegan26.0%
Zion13.8%

Property Crime Clearance

Waukegan6.9%
Zion14.6%

Weather & Climate

Source: NOAA / Open-Meteo

Avg Annual Temperature

WaukeganN/A
ZionN/A

Avg Annual High

WaukeganN/A
ZionN/A

Avg Annual Low

WaukeganN/A
ZionN/A

Sunny Days per Year

WaukeganN/A
ZionN/A

Annual Rainfall

WaukeganN/A
ZionN/A

Annual Snowfall

WaukeganN/A
ZionN/A

Avg Humidity

WaukeganN/A
ZionN/A

Schools & Education — Waukegan leads

Source: NCES / U.S. Census Bureau

Waukegan has a bachelor's degree or higher of 13.7% compared to 10.1% in Zion. Waukegan has a high school diploma or higher of 33.2% compared to 31.9% in Zion.

Public Schools

Waukegan0
Zion0

Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

WaukeganN/A
ZionN/A

Colleges & Universities

Waukegan0
Zion0

Bachelor's Degree or Higher

Waukegan13.7%
Zion10.1%

High School Diploma or Higher

Waukegan33.2%
Zion31.9%

Demographics & Community

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Waukegan has a population of 88,919, about 3.6x the size of Zion (24,466).

Population

Waukegan88,919
Zion24,466

Median Age

Waukegan35
Zion34

Avg Household Size

Waukegan2.8
Zion2.7

Married Population

Waukegan34.4%
Zion33.1%

Foreign Born

Waukegan31.2%
Zion18.3%

White

Waukegan33.0%
Zion33.1%

Black

Waukegan16.1%
Zion28.2%

Hispanic

Waukegan57.0%
Zion41.7%

Asian

Waukegan6.1%
Zion2.3%

Waukegan

Zion

Healthcare — Waukegan leads

Source: CMS Hospital Compare

Waukegan: 3.5 vs Zion: 2.8 for avg cms rating (out of 5).

Nearby Hospitals

Waukegan5
Zion5

Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)

Waukegan3.5
Zion2.8

With Emergency Services

Waukegan4
Zion4

Transportation & Commute — Waukegan leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Waukegan has a public transit of 2.5% compared to 1.5% in Zion. Zion has a bicycle of 0.3% compared to 0.2% in Waukegan. Waukegan: 25 min vs Zion: 27 min for mean commute time.

Mean Commute Time

Waukegan25 min
Zion27 min

Drive Alone

Waukegan69.9%
Zion73.5%

Public Transit

Waukegan2.5%
Zion1.5%

Bicycle

Waukegan0.2%
Zion0.3%

Work from Home

Waukegan6.7%
Zion6.7%

Airports

Waukegan0
Zion0

Cities Similar to Waukegan, IL

Compare Waukegan 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

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