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Place dossier plate
SheetIL-SYCAMORE-IL · Sycamore, IL 18,243 pop · income 62nd pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Sycamore
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Sycamore on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
East St. Louis · lowest
30,992
East St. Louis · lowest
30,992 median HH income
25.3% of the leader · rank #1
Adelphi · near
80,833
Adelphi · near
80,833 median HH income
65.9% of the leader · rank #2
Rocky Ford · near
80,833
Rocky Ford · near
80,833 median HH income
65.9% of the leader · rank #3
Pikes Creek · near
80,833
Pikes Creek · near
80,833 median HH income
65.9% of the leader · rank #4
Stillwater · near
80,833
Stillwater · near
80,833 median HH income
65.9% of the leader · rank #5
Sycamore · this city
80,837
Sycamore · this city
80,837 median HH income
65.9% of the leader · rank #6
Shorewood · highest
122,648
Shorewood · highest
122,648 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Sycamore on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 18,243.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Sycamore - the verdict
Nationally, Sycamore sits in the 62nd percentile for household income and the 62nd percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
62nd
percentile, household income
57th
percentile, home value
18th
percentile, median rent
62nd
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Sycamore, IL
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 18,243 residents in Sycamore, a small town within Illinois. Median household income here is $80,837 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 8.6%. Home values in Sycamore run a median of $254,200, and the median resident age is 37.6 years. Educational attainment runs 43.6% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 68.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 45 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Slowing), down 15% from five years earlier. Sycamore reports a comparatively low crime rate: per-100,000 total crime stands at 1052.5 in FBI UCR data, below the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Illinois tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Illinois at 100.0 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Near Average). Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,063 monthly. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Illinois run around $240, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 54.5 out of 100 (Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Sycamore's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from housing and income to work and mobility to comparison shortlist to schools and households to reported crime to population change; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Sycamore, city-specific coverage includes matched public-school count, FBI reported-crime rates, annual population history, commute-mode shares, local building permits.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
1. Housing and income
How far does income reach against housing in Sycamore?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.1 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 8.6%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
What does the journey to work look like in Sycamore?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 76.4%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Which cities make useful reference points for Sycamore?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within Illinois, the closest population matches are Franklin Park (18,233 residents, $76,009 income); Shorewood (18,218 residents, $122,648 income); East St. Louis (18,278 residents, $30,992 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Trenton, MI (18,242 residents); Johnstown, PA (18,245 residents); Somerset, MA (18,246 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
The NCES join finds 7 public schools within the city match. 43.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Reported crime
What can the FBI record say about safety in Sycamore?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 1052.5 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 54% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
Total reported rate
1052.5
Violent rate
42.7
Property rate
1009.7
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
Is Sycamore growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +434 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +2.3% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 45 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
2020 estimate
18,649
2025 estimate
19,083
Period change
+2.3%
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
Above median income · poverty 8.6% (Above-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
100.0 (US=100)
Above-average cost · BEA RPP 2024, Illinois average
C+
City profile score · Sycamore, IL
61/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Violent crime A
43 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share B+
43.6%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income C+
$80,837
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate D
8.6%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Cost of living D
100.0 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Sycamore profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Violent crime: 86/100 (A) · 43 /100k
Bachelor's+ share: 78/100 (B+) · 43.6%
Household income: 60/100 (C+) · $80,837
Poverty rate: 45/100 (D) · 8.6%
Cost of living: 40/100 (D) · 100.0 index
Where Sycamore sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Sycamore's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Sycamore highlighted among 10 peers.Read the chart values
Sycamore, IL (this city): home $254,200, crime 1,053/100k
Trenton, MI : home $202,400, crime 576/100k
Johnstown, PA : home $42,100, crime 3,221/100k
Somerset, MA : home $389,400, crime 718/100k
Mount Washington, KY : home $253,700, crime 590/100k
Franklin Park, IL : home $261,700, crime 1,576/100k
Shorewood, IL : home $324,600, crime 911/100k
Palos Hills, IL : home $259,200, crime 479/100k
Bellwood, IL : home $219,600, crime 1,504/100k
North Aurora, IL : home $323,900, crime 1,006/100k
How does Sycamore compare to other US cities?
Where Sycamore sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income62% higher than other cities
Home value57% pricier than other cities
Median rent18% pricier than other cities
Safety62% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Illinois alone, Sycamore ranks #255 of 455 Illinois cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Sycamore against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Illinois only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Illinois-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Sycamore near the bottom of Illinois's cities
Among the 1,336 Illinois cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Sycamore ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Sycamore only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#395 of 1,311
70th percentile in Illinois
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 1,336
0th percentile in Illinois
Median Home Value
#223 of 1,315
83rd percentile in Illinois
Poverty Rate
#552 of 1,335
58th percentile in Illinois
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#153 of 1,336
88th percentile in Illinois
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Illinois only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
62nd percentile nationally for median household income · 62nd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Sycamore's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Sycamore's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Sycamore's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$254,20043rd percentilemore affordable than 43% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Sycamore's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.1×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#7,410 of 15,516
More affordable than 52% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#1,101 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 3.1×, Sycamore sits in the moderate band:
national rank #7,410 of 15,516 and #1,101 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$80,837Sycamore, IL median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Sycamore, IL median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Sycamore, IL.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)43.6%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)8.6%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)68.5%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
18,243
Median Income
$80,837
Median Home Value
$254,200
Median Age
37.6
Poverty Rate
8.6%
Labor force participation
68.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
43.6%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
1052.5
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
42.7
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1009.7
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Schools
Total Schools
7
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Sycamore's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
18,649 residents
2021
18,752 residents
2022
18,760 residents
2023
18,763 residents
2024
18,859 residents
2025
19,083 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
🏗️ Slowing
Total Permits (2024)
45
housing units authorized
Single-Family
41
detached homes
Multifamily
4
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
2.5
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
53
39
14
$11.0M
2020
54
42
12
$14.5M
2021
62
46
16
$17.0M
2022
62
33
29
$16.8M
2023
53
35
18
$14.2M
2024
45
41
4
$16.1M
Permit volume decreased 15% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
76.4%
Carpool
5.2%
Public Transit
1.6%
Walk
1.0%
Work from Home
12.7%
Other
3.1%
Based on 9,894 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Illinois statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $240
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Illinois at $240 (electricity about $100 , water and sewer about $50 ).
These are Illinois statewide averages, not a meter reading for Sycamore. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Illinois's BEA cost-of-living index is 100.0 (Near Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Sycamore is $1,063/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Illinois statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 54.5 / 100 (Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Illinois statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Sycamore sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Sycamore compares to similar-size Illinois cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.