Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Naperville, IL
VS
Syracuse, NY
🏆 Naperville leads 18 of 23 categories
Naperville
Illinois
18
wins
Cost of Living Index
102.6⚠ High
Median Household Income
$143,754 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
22 ✓ Safer
Population
149,089 ✓ Larger
Syracuse
New York
5
wins
Cost of Living Index
95.2 ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$43,584
Violent Crime Index
201⚠ High
Population
146,134
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Naperville, IL
Pros
Households earn $100,170 more per year on average
89% less violent crime than Syracuse
Stronger job market — unemployment is 4.1 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 7% higher than Syracuse
Syracuse, NY
Pros
Homes cost $365k less ($117,900 vs $482,600)
Rent averages $855/mo less ($932 vs $1,787)
Commutes run 15 min shorter each way
7% cheaper overall cost of living than Naperville
Smaller class sizes — 10.9:1 student-teacher ratio
Cons
Median income trails Naperville by $100,170/yr
Violent crime (765.3/100k) is above the U.S. average of 380
Property crime (4234.2/100k) runs high vs the U.S. average
Higher unemployment (8.6% vs 4.5%)
Key Differences at a Glance
Naperville
Median Income
$100,170
$143,754 vs $43,584/yr
Naperville
Violent Crime
89% lower
83.7 vs 765.3 per 100k
Naperville
Unemployment
4.1 pp lower
4.5% vs 8.6% unemployment
Naperville
Summer Heat
3.8°F warmer
July avg high 85.5°F vs 81.7°F
Syracuse
Cost of Living
7% cheaper
COL index 95.2 vs 102.6 (100 = US avg)
Syracuse
Median Home Value
$365k less
$117,900 vs $482,600
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Naperville, IL | Syracuse, NY |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 102.6⚠ High | 95.2 ✓ Cheaper |
| Median Home Value | $482,600⚠ High | $117,900 ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,787⚠ High | $932 ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $143,754 ✓ Higher | $43,584 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.5%⚠ High ✓ Lower | 8.6%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 32.2 min⚠ High | 17.6 min ✓ Shorter |
| Work From Home % | 23.5% ✓ Higher | 9.3% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 30 ✓ Safer | 201⚠ High |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 22 ✓ Safer | 201⚠ High |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 42 ✓ Safer | 202⚠ High |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | A+ (135) ✓ Better | B (98) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 13.5:1 | 10.9:1 ✓ Smaller |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 70.9% ✓ Higher | 29.7% |
| High School or Higher | 97.5% ✓ Higher | 84.5% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | Naperville CUSD 203 | SYRACUSE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 32.8°F ✓ Warmer | 31.7°F |
| Avg High — July | 85.5°F ✓ Warmer | 81.7°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 40.3" ✓ Drier | 43.4" |
| Annual Snowfall | 24.3" ✓ Less | 127.8" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 149,089 ✓ Larger | 146,134 |
| Median Age | 39.5 ✓ Older | 31.9 |
| Homeownership Rate | 74.4% ✓ Higher | 40.8% |
| Under 18 | 24.8% ✓ More | 21.0% |
| Over 65 | 13.9% ✓ More | 13.3% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Naperville's cost of living index is 102.6 vs Syracuse's 95.2 (US average = 100).
Syracuse is 7% less expensive overall.
Based on the 23 decided categories above, Naperville leads 18 of 23 categories. Naperville wins 18 and Syracuse wins 5. 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 Syracuse or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($482,600 vs $117,900 median home), income ($143,754 vs $43,584), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Naperville, IL and Syracuse, NY are about 619 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.