Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Naperville, IL
VS
New Haven, CT
🏆 Naperville leads 17 of 23 categories
Naperville
Illinois
17
wins
Cost of Living Index
102.6⚠ High
Median Household Income
$143,754 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
22 ✓ Safer
Population
149,089 ✓ Larger
New Haven
Connecticut
6
wins
Cost of Living Index
98.6 ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$54,305
Violent Crime Index
141⚠ High
Population
135,736
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Naperville, IL
Pros
Households earn $89,449 more per year on average
84% less violent crime than New Haven
Stronger job market — unemployment is 3.3 pts lower (4.5%)
More college-educated — 70.9% hold a bachelor's or higher
Violent crime is well below the national average (83.7 vs 380/100k)
Cons
Pricier housing — median home is $482,600
Higher rents — median is $1,787/mo
Longer commutes — 32.2 min average each way
Cost of living runs 4% higher than New Haven
New Haven, CT
Pros
Homes cost $246k less ($236,500 vs $482,600)
Rent averages $385/mo less ($1,402 vs $1,787)
Commutes run 11 min shorter each way
Milder winters — January highs near 38°F vs 33°F
Smaller class sizes — 12.0:1 student-teacher ratio
4% cheaper overall cost of living than Naperville
Cons
Median income trails Naperville by $89,449/yr
Violent crime (534.8/100k) is above the U.S. average of 380
Property crime (3587.1/100k) runs high vs the U.S. average
Higher unemployment (7.8% vs 4.5%)
Key Differences at a Glance
Naperville
Median Income
$89,449
$143,754 vs $54,305/yr
Naperville
Violent Crime
84% lower
83.7 vs 534.8 per 100k
Naperville
Unemployment
3.3 pp lower
4.5% vs 7.8% unemployment
Naperville
Summer Heat
3.4°F warmer
July avg high 85.5°F vs 82.1°F
New Haven
Cost of Living
4% cheaper
COL index 98.6 vs 102.6 (100 = US avg)
New Haven
Median Home Value
$246k less
$236,500 vs $482,600
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Naperville, IL | New Haven, CT |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 102.6⚠ High | 98.6 ✓ Cheaper |
| Median Home Value | $482,600⚠ High | $236,500 ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,787⚠ High | $1,402⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $143,754 ✓ Higher | $54,305 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.5%⚠ High ✓ Lower | 7.8%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 32.2 min⚠ High | 21.7 min ✓ Shorter |
| Work From Home % | 23.5% ✓ Higher | 11.6% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 30 ✓ Safer | 153⚠ High |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 22 ✓ Safer | 141⚠ High |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 42 ✓ Safer | 171⚠ High |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | A+ (135) ✓ Better | B+ (107) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 13.5:1 | 12.0:1 ✓ Smaller |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 70.9% ✓ Higher | 38.5% |
| High School or Higher | 97.5% ✓ Higher | 85.7% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | Naperville CUSD 203 | New Haven School District |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 32.8°F | 38.1°F ✓ Warmer |
| Avg High — July | 85.5°F ✓ Warmer | 82.1°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 40.3" ✓ Drier | 41.8" |
| Annual Snowfall | 24.3" ✓ Less | 33.6" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 149,089 ✓ Larger | 135,736 |
| Median Age | 39.5 ✓ Older | 31.0 |
| Homeownership Rate | 74.4% ✓ Higher | 28.6% |
| Under 18 | 24.8% ✓ More | 22.0% |
| Over 65 | 13.9% ✓ More | 10.8% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Naperville's cost of living index is 102.6 vs New Haven's 98.6 (US average = 100).
New Haven is 4% less expensive overall.
Based on the 23 decided categories above, Naperville leads 17 of 23 categories. Naperville wins 17 and New Haven wins 6. The right choice depends on your priorities — use the Pros & Cons and full table above to weigh what matters to you.
Whether you're moving from Naperville to New Haven or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($482,600 vs $236,500 median home), income ($143,754 vs $54,305), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Naperville, IL and New Haven, CT are about 788 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.