Cost of living comparison
ACS median gross rent, median household income, and rent-to-income signals are live; utilities, insurance, and tax inputs remain queued.
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Comparison
Compare Clinton, Decatur, Lincoln and Monticello
Compare up to four cities at once using verified Census population and ACS housing, income, education, employment, and commute estimates beside transparent young-grad signals. Live listings, occupation wages, neighborhood crime, and school-boundary data remain separate verification steps.
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| City | Grad fit | Median rent | Median income | Bachelor's+ | City unemployment | 2025 population | Growth | Cost | Safety check | Commute | Career sectors | Source confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinton, Illinois | 57/100 | $934 | $62,323 | 20.4% | 3.7% | 6,781 | -3.11% | rent-friendly | standard city check | 20.8 min | regional employers, healthcare, local services | medium-high |
| Decatur, Illinois | 53/100 | $845 | $51,592 | 21.6% | 8.3% | 67,884 | -4.92% | rent watch | standard city check | 19.3 min | regional employers, healthcare, local services | medium-high |
| Lincoln, Illinois | 58/100 | $828 | $57,340 | 20.3% | 2.9% | 12,981 | -2.32% | rent-friendly | standard city check | 19.6 min | regional employers, healthcare, local services | medium-high |
| Monticello, Illinois | 68/100 | $1,379 | $99,449 | 40.7% | 0.5% | 6,080 | +2.29% | rent-friendly | standard city check | 24.6 min | regional employers, healthcare, local services | medium-high |
Salary comparison
Use BLS wage and offer-specific salary before deciding; salary equivalency calculator is queued.
Data layer queuedRent comparison
ACS median gross rent is live; HUD fair market rent and live market rent remain queued.
Data layer queuedHome price comparison
ACS owner-occupied median home value is live; listing prices, property tax, insurance, and mortgage layers remain queued.
Data layer queuedCrime comparison
No city is ranked by crime until FBI CDE and local-agency caveats are verified.
Data layer queuedWeather comparison
NOAA climate normals and hazard history are queued for climate charts.
Data layer queuedCommute comparison
ACS commute-time buckets are live as approximate city commute estimates; route-level commute checks remain queued.
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