Joliet, IL, known as 'City of Steel,' offers a unique blend of suburban tranquility and modern urban amenities. Located in Will and Kendall counties, Joliet is a large city that serves as a major cultural and economic hub. Major nearby cities like Chicago (40 miles) and Aurora (20 miles) enhance its status as a central point in the region. Joliet's blend of historic landmarks, cultural festivals, and urban amenities creates a distinctive living experience.
Joliet is home to several iconic landmarks, including the Joliet Area Historical Museum, the historic Rialto Square Theatre, and the scenic Pilcher Park Nature Center. The city offers a variety of attractions, from the beautiful Joliet Iron Works Historic Site to the bustling Louis Joliet Mall, known for its shopping and dining. Joliet's dining scene is diverse, offering everything from Midwestern cuisine to international dishes.
Annual events such as the Joliet Blues Festival and the Joliet PrideFest highlight the city's vibrant cultural scene and provide unique entertainment opportunities for residents and visitors. These events celebrate Joliet's rich cultural heritage and community spirit. Prestigious institutions like the University of St. Francis contribute to the city's academic and cultural vibrancy, fostering a thriving intellectual community.
The arts and culture scene in Joliet is dynamic and diverse, with numerous theaters, music venues, and art galleries. The Joliet Public Library and the Joliet Junior College Fine Arts Theatre are just a few of the cultural landmarks that showcase the city's commitment to the arts. Living in Joliet provides ample opportunities to engage with art, music, and history, making it an exciting place to call home.
Joliet’s community is welcoming and diverse, creating a friendly environment for newcomers. The city is home to professional sports teams like the Joliet Slammers (Frontier League), providing plenty of excitement for sports fans. Major industries in Joliet include logistics, healthcare, and manufacturing, with significant employers such as Amazon and Silver Cross Hospital driving economic growth. The city has extensive public transit options, including buses and Metra trains, making commuting convenient for residents.
Commute
High scores in the commute category could indicate that this area offers short commute times to work and readily available public transportation options.
Cost Of Living
Residents in this area benefit from an affordable cost of living. This includes goods and services, transportation, housing, utilities, groceries and healthcare.
Employment
This area scores extremely well in the employment category. This is primarily due to the combination of low unemployment rates, higher median home income and income per capita.
Housing
The housing category in this area boasts higher than average scores, likely influenced by a positive home affordability ratio, robust appreciation rates or elevated home values.
Schools
Factors such as lower than average graduation rates, lackluster reading and math scores and the limited accessibility of local elementary and high schools could contribute to the low schools score.
Joliet, Illinois is a medium-sized city with a population of 152,137 inhabitants. More than a quarter of the residents of Joliet identify themselves as Hispanic or Latino, and 24% of the population speak Spanish as their primary or secondary language. Something to be aware of when living in Joliet are the above average commute times. If you're looking for a short commute to work, this might not be the right area for you. With one way commute time of 30 minutes, this comes in much higher than the national average of 26 minutes.
Without the right tools, moving to any new city can be very stressful and challenging. Living in Joliet, Illinois could be a great experience for anyone who puts in the effort to do the research required. When searching for a new neighborhood, several key items should be considered. Safety is paramount, ensuring a secure environment for you and your family. Proximity to workplaces or schools reduces commuting time and enhances convenience. Access to amenities like parks, grocery stores and healthcare facilities contributes to a comfortable lifestyle. Reliable public transportation options promote easy mobility. A strong sense of community fosters social connections and a welcoming atmosphere. To help you find the best places to live in and around Joliet, AreaVibes has created a livability score using key metrics like amenities, crime, education and more.
Joliet has a livability score of 76 out of 100 and is ranked #146 in Illinois and #2,925 in the USA. Pack your bags! This is a very high score in comparison to other US cities. Living in Joliet could be a great choice! The cherry on top is that Joliet also ranks in the top 10 percent of all cities. There are nine total categories that create the livability score. Joliet scores well for cost of living (A-), employment (B+) and housing (A+) Joliet does not rank well for the following: education (F). It might be a smart idea to take a closer look at each category to find out why.
Finding affordable real estate and housing in Joliet can be tricky. Having said that, this area might be the place to get the best of both worlds. Based on factors like home/rental affordability and appreciation rates, this area has received an above average score in the housing category. A healthy real estate market can lead to wealth appreciation for property owners, as rising property values can contribute to homeowners' equity, financial stability and the ability to build long-term wealth.
Joliet real estate prices and overall affordability will play a huge role in determining if the area is the right fit for you. Of course there are probably some other items on your “wish list”, but even before they are considered, let’s take a look at the home prices and affordability in Joliet. The median home price for Joliet homes is $350,706, which is 13.7% higher than the Illinois average. If we take a closer look at the affordability of homes in Joliet, we’ll see that the home price to income ratio is 3.2, which is 8.6% lower than the Illinois average.
Why stop at city-to-city? With Local Insights, you can compare neighborhoods, zip codes, or even exact addresses. Access 300+ hyperlocal data points—from schools and crime to housing and amenities—to see which area is the better fit.
| Statistic | Joliet | Illinois | National |
| Average one way commute | 30min | 29min | 26min |
| Workers who drive to work | 83.3% | 73.4% | 76.4% |
| Workers who carpool | 8.4% | 8.3% | 9.3% |
| Workers who take public transit | 1.9% | 9.2% | 5.1% |
| Workers who bicycle | 0.1% | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Workers who walk | 1.0% | 3.1% | 2.8% |
| Working from home | 4.3% | 4.4% | 4.6% |
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