Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Naperville, IL
VS
Sandy, UT
🏆 Naperville leads 13 of 23 categories
Naperville
Illinois
13
wins
Cost of Living Index
102.6⚠ High
Median Household Income
$143,754 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
22 ✓ Safer
Population
149,089 ✓ Larger
Sandy
Utah
10
wins
Cost of Living Index
100.2⚠ High ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$108,165
Violent Crime Index
65
Population
95,635
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Naperville, IL
Pros
66% less violent crime than Sandy
Households earn $35,589 more per year on average
More college-educated — 70.9% hold a bachelor's or higher
Violent crime is well below the national average (83.7 vs 380/100k)
Cooler summers — July highs near 86°F vs 91°F
Smaller class sizes — 13.5:1 student-teacher ratio
Cons
Higher unemployment (4.5% vs 2.2%)
Higher rents — median is $1,787/mo
Longer commutes — 32.2 min average each way
Cost of living runs 2% higher than Sandy
Sandy, UT
Pros
Stronger job market — unemployment is 2.3 pts lower (2.2%)
Violent crime is well below the national average (246.7 vs 380/100k)
Commutes run 9 min shorter each way
Rent averages $147/mo less ($1,640 vs $1,787)
Milder winters — January highs near 38°F vs 33°F
2% cheaper overall cost of living than Naperville
Cons
Median income trails Naperville by $35,589/yr
Snowy winters — about 82" of snow per year
Key Differences at a Glance
Naperville
Median Income
$35,589
$143,754 vs $108,165/yr
Naperville
Violent Crime
66% lower
83.7 vs 246.7 per 100k
Sandy
Cost of Living
2% cheaper
COL index 100.2 vs 102.6 (100 = US avg)
Sandy
Unemployment
2.3 pp lower
2.2% vs 4.5% unemployment
Sandy
Summer Heat
5.2°F warmer
July avg high 90.7°F vs 85.5°F
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Naperville, IL | Sandy, UT |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 102.6⚠ High | 100.2⚠ High ✓ Cheaper |
| Median Home Value | $482,600⚠ High ✓ Lower | $492,300⚠ High |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,787⚠ High | $1,640⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $143,754 ✓ Higher | $108,165 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.5%⚠ High | 2.2% ✓ Lower |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 32.2 min⚠ High | 23.4 min ✓ Shorter |
| Work From Home % | 23.5% ✓ Higher | 17.7% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 30 ✓ Safer | 69 |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 22 ✓ Safer | 65 |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 42 ✓ Safer | 76 |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | A+ (135) ✓ Better | B (102) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 13.5:1 ✓ Smaller | 21.4:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 70.9% ✓ Higher | 44.5% |
| High School or Higher | 97.5% ✓ Higher | 95.4% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | Naperville CUSD 203 | Canyons District |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 32.8°F | 38.1°F ✓ Warmer |
| Avg High — July | 85.5°F | 90.7°F ✓ Warmer |
| Annual Precipitation | 40.3" | 21.0" ✓ Drier |
| Annual Snowfall | 24.3" ✓ Less | 81.9" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 149,089 ✓ Larger | 95,635 |
| Median Age | 39.5 ✓ Older | 36.9 |
| Homeownership Rate | 74.4% | 76.5% ✓ Higher |
| Under 18 | 24.8% | 25.8% ✓ More |
| Over 65 | 13.9% | 14.8% ✓ More |
Frequently Asked Questions
Naperville's cost of living index is 102.6 vs Sandy's 100.2 (US average = 100).
Sandy is 2% less expensive overall.
Based on the 23 decided categories above, Naperville leads 13 of 23 categories. Naperville wins 13 and Sandy wins 10. 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 Sandy or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($482,600 vs $492,300 median home), income ($143,754 vs $108,165), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Naperville, IL and Sandy, UT are about 1,231 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.