City Profile

Joliet, Illinois

USA · Comprehensive city data and intelligence

Overall Score

Joliet, Illinois, located about 30 miles southwest of Chicago, is a historic canal town that has evolved into a major logistics and industrial hub in Will and Kendall counties. Founded along the Des Plaines River, the city honors its heritage through landmarks like the Rialto Square Theatre while continuously adapting to modern economic demands. Today, Joliet serves as a vibrant, growing community that blends its industrial roots with sprawling residential neighborhoods, a diverse population, and expanding commercial corridors.

People are drawn to Joliet for its strategic geographic location, which offers convenient access to major interstate highways, freight rail networks, and commuter rail services connecting directly to downtown Chicago. The city provides a suburban lifestyle with urban amenities, featuring local parks, cultural festivals, and recreational opportunities along the Des Plaines River and Illinois and Michigan Canal. With a mix of historic homes, mid-century subdivisions, and newer developments, Joliet accommodates a wide range of residents seeking relative affordability within the Chicago metropolitan area.

About Illinois

Illinois, known as the "Prairie State," offers a diverse character ranging from the bustling metropolis of Chicago to expansive farmlands. Its economy is among the largest and most diversified in the U.S., with major industries including advanced manufacturing, agriculture and food processing, life sciences, technology, and transportation and logistics. While the cost of living statewide is generally considered moderate, housing costs in Chicago can be higher than the national average. Illinois experiences all four seasons, with hot, humid summers and cold, snowy winters, and is susceptible to severe storms and tornadoes, particularly in spring. Residents enjoy a lifestyle that balances world-class cultural amenities and career opportunities with challenges such as high taxes and urban congestion.

150,362

Population

$69K

Avg Salary

Cost Index

63.5

Quality Score

How this 64/100 was calculated five components, with every reading behind them

Component	Readings used	Points	Weight	Contributes
Safety	Safety score: 62 / 100	62.0	30%	18.6
Affordability	Cost of living index (100 = national baseline): 92.0	53.8	25%	13.4
Economy & jobs	Median household income: $81,200 Income needed to live here: $52,000 Unemployment rate: 4.6%	81.3	20%	16.3
Growth	Population growth rate: 0.8% Job growth rate: 1.9%	51.5	15%	7.7
Business climate assessment	Business climate assessment: 75 / 100	75.0	10%	7.5
Overall score				63.5

Provenance. These figures were produced by the research pass recorded as Tier 1 (fast) (q=52, partial — below threshold), last refreshed 16 October 2026. They are researched estimates drawn from public sources, not a licensed data feed.

Each component is scored against fixed published endpoints, so this number is comparable with any other city and does not move as the dataset grows. Scoring framework 2026.10 — full methodology, weights and accepted ranges.

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Performance

Quality Scores

Business

Livability

Affordability

Growth

Expenses

Cost of Living

The cost of living in Joliet is generally slightly below the national average and notably lower than Chicago proper, making it an attractive destination for families and professionals seeking budget-friendly housing. Expenses such as groceries, utilities, and transportation hover close to standard regional benchmarks, while local services remain competitively priced compared to northern Cook County suburbs. Property taxes in Will County, however, can exert upward pressure on homeownership costs, requiring careful budgeting for buyers navigating the local real estate market.

Downward pressure on everyday expenses comes from affordable retail options, moderately priced dining, and reasonable healthcare services accessible throughout the region. While housing costs have appreciated in recent years alongside broader national trends, Joliet still offers more square footage per dollar than many inner-ring Chicago suburbs. This favorable balance between income potential and household expenditures allows residents to enjoy a comfortable standard of living without the steep overhead typically found closer to major metropolitan centers.

Average Rent

$1,450/mo

Groceries

$380/mo

Transport

$130/mo

Utilities

$175/mo

Healthcare

$240/mo

Gym membership (monthly)

$40.00

Cinema ticket

$13.00

Restaurant meal (mid-range)

$20.00

Monthly groceries

$380.00

Doctor visit (without insurance)

$140.00

Income

Salary Insights

Joliet's economy is anchored by logistics, warehousing, manufacturing, healthcare, and retail trade, capitalizing on its designation as a premier national inland port. Major employers include healthcare systems like Ascension Saint Joseph, regional school districts, and massive distribution centers for Fortune 500 companies situated in the city's expansive industrial parks. The city's strategic placement at the intersection of I-80 and I-55 continues to attract supply chain and transportation investments, generating steady employment opportunities across various skill levels.

In addition to traditional blue-collar and logistics sectors, Joliet features a growing professional services market and a robust remote work community supported by accessible high-speed internet infrastructure. The local workforce benefits from proximity to higher education institutions like Joliet Junior College and University of St. Francis, which help align workforce training with regional employer needs. While traditional industries dominate local payrolls, entrepreneurship is supported through local chamber initiatives and business development resources designed to foster small business growth.

The average salary in Joliet is $68,500 per year. You would need approximately $52,000 to live comfortably.

Employment

Top Industries

Retail Trade +1.50% Manufacturing +1.10% Educational Services +1.00% Healthcare and Social Assistance +2.40% Logistics and Warehousing +3.20%

Weather

Climate

🌡️

52°F

Avg Temp

☀️

83°F

Summer High

❄️

18°F

Winter Low

🌧️

36.10"

Annual Rain

💧

68.00%

Humidity

🌤️

251

Sunny Days

Mobility

Transport

Transportation in Joliet is heavily automobile-dependent, with major thoroughfares like Interstate 80, Interstate 55, and U.S. Route 30 facilitating regional travel and commuting. The average commute time reflects regional patterns, as many residents travel to surrounding industrial parks or commute into Chicago for work. Traffic congestion can peak during traditional rush hours, particularly around major highway interchanges and freight-heavy distribution corridors.

Public transportation is supported by Pace suburban bus routes and Metra rail service via the Rock Island District line, which provides direct commuter connections to downtown Chicago. While parts of the historic downtown area offer pedestrian-friendly layouts, most modern residential subdivisions require a car for daily errands, resulting in moderate walkability and transit scores typical of outer-ring metropolitan suburbs.

30 min

Avg Commute

42.00/10

Transit Score

45.00/10

Walkability

High

Car Dependency

At a Glance

Pros & Cons

Advantages

Median home prices and rent averages remain significantly more affordable than Chicago and its inner-ring suburbs.

Strategic geographic location at the intersection of I-80 and I-55 drives robust job opportunities in logistics and manufacturing.

Direct Metra commuter rail service on the Rock Island line provides convenient access to downtown Chicago.

Rich cultural and architectural assets, including the historic Rialto Square Theatre and extensive park district facilities.

Strong presence of higher education and healthcare institutions supporting local workforce development and medical access.

Drawbacks

Will County property taxes are among the highest in the nation, impacting overall homeownership costs.

Heavy freight and truck traffic on major regional corridors contributes to roadway wear and localized congestion.

High reliance on automobile transportation with limited public transit coverage outside of core commuter routes.

Crime rates vary significantly by neighborhood, with certain central areas experiencing elevated property and violent crime.

Air quality and environmental concerns occasionally arise due to heavy industrial activity and massive distribution warehouse operations.

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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Urblytica benchmarks its Cost of Living Index against a United States national average baseline of 100. A score of 115 means a city is approximately 15% more expensive than the national average, while a score of 85 indicates it is 15% more affordable. This composite calculation is weighted across six primary expenditure categories: housing, utilities, grocery items, transportation, healthcare, and miscellaneous goods.

Urblytica aggregates housing data from multiple authoritative sources, including Multiple Listing Service (MLS) feeds, municipal property tax registries, the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS), and verified historical deed transactions. This multi-tier aggregation ensures precision in tracking median home values and rental rates.

A municipality must meet minimum data-density thresholds—including consistent reporting population samples from the U.S. Census and active residential or commercial real estate transaction feeds—to ensure statistical significance before a complete scoring profile is published.

When primary agencies (such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics or U.S. Census Bureau) issue historical data revisions or benchmark corrections, Urblytica's data pipeline automatically re-indexes affected historical archives to maintain longitudinal trend accuracy.

U.S. affordability calculations incorporate federal income tax brackets, state-specific income tax rates, and local municipal tax variations to evaluate the true net tax drag on median household earnings across different states and cities.

Local county and municipal property tax millage rates are factored directly into the housing component of the cost-of-living index to reflect recurring annual tax burdens for homeowners.

The platform aggregates state sales taxes alongside county and city surtaxes to measure consumer basket purchasing power parity accurately across different retail jurisdictions.

Utility calculations apply regional seasonal consumption weightings, incorporating high summer air conditioning loads in southern states and heavy winter heating demands in northern states.