City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Grand Rapids | Waukegan | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,138/mo | $1,132/mo | 0.5% higher in A |
| Median home value | $203,900 | $164,400 | 24.0% higher in A |
| Median household income | $61,634 | $66,077 | 6.7% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 101.7 | 101.6 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 88.0 | 88.0 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 91.0 | 90.9 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 91.1 | 90.9 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Grand Rapids, you'd need $99,685 in Waukegan to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Grand Rapids and Waukegan have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Grand Rapids, you'd need about $79,748 in Waukegan to keep the same standard of living.