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Is New Baden, IL a Good Place to Live?
New Baden is a small town of 3,444 in Illinois, with a median household income of $72,295 and a 4.2% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 96 (US average = 100), which is 4% below the national average.
Strengths: New Baden stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether New Baden is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All New Baden city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 96.3New Baden's overall cost of living index is 96.3, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in New Baden costs roughly 4% less than the average American city.
| Metric | New Baden, IL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $172,600 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,088 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 59.7% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $72,295 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeNew Baden's violent crime rate is 89.7 per 100,000 residents — 76% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
New Baden is served primarily by Wesclin CUSD 3. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13.5:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | New Baden, IL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Wesclin CUSD 3 | — |
| Elementary Schools | 2 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 13.5:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 27.8% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 89.4% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
New Baden sees average highs of 42.9°F in January and 90.2°F in July, with 39.9 inches of annual precipitation and 10.1 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | New Baden, IL |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 42.9°F |
| Average High — July | 90.2°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 39.9" |
| Annual Snowfall | 10.1" |
Demographics
| Metric | New Baden, IL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,444 | — |
| Median Age | 37.8 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.2% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 23.7 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 86.1% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 3.7% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 8.5% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.7% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 26.4% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 10.7% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in New Baden
New Baden, IL is covered by 1 ZIP code: