Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
DeKalb gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $261K for a typical one, or 2.9 years of the Chicago metro’s $91K median household income. It grades C− overall, 654th among Illinois's 767 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. Its schools rank behind 84% of the state's, and it reports more crime per resident than 82% of U.S. towns, including 108 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. On the plus side, it has 8 miles of trail. 25% of residents live below the poverty line in DeKalb, above both the Illinois town median (8.4%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). DeKalb is home to Northern Illinois University. DeKalb is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 80% of U.S. towns.
Where DeKalb beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far DeKalb is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,598 in 1880, 40,290 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 3 maps from 1958 on.
6 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in DeKalb, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in DeKalb.
DeKalb trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, is shaped by its college students and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
25.5% of residents are enrolled in college, against 6.3% statewide, which pulls the median age down. The median household earns $46,481, against $83,390 across Illinois, one input to its C for jobs and income.
The median age in DeKalb is 26.1 years. Adults 18 to 34 are 44% of residents (23% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 27% of residents (39% statewide). 11% of DeKalb residents are 65 or older.
| DeKalb | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 26.1 years | 40.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 11% | 19% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 19% | 22% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 34% | 29% | 29% |
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±1.2 points. Across Illinois, 50.6% of residents are women. Median age: women 26.4, men 25.6.
| DeKalb | IL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.8% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 29.8% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.8% | 13.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.8% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 7.8% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 5.8% | 10% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.2% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 11.9% | 9.5% | 10.4% |
| High school | 24.7% | 25.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 21% | 19.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.7% | 8.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.6% | 22.6% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 14.1% | 15.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Reported crimes fell from 1,176 to 996 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
DeKalb’s property crime rate is 21.9 per 1,000 residents. DeKalb reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 82% report less. DeKalb’s violent crime rate is 2.7 per 1,000 residents.
| DeKalb | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 21.9 per 1,000 residents | 7.9 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.7 per 1,000 residents | 1 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
7.6 miles of trail in 33 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Prairie Park, at 107 acres.
| DeKalb | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 6.9% | 3.6% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Rotary Park | 0.7 mi | 20 |
| 2. Mason Park | 0.7 mi | 12 |
| 3. North 40 | 0.5 mi | 69 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
DeKalb has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 14° and about 33 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
DeKalb has about as many jobs (14,171) as working residents, but only 3,780 people both live and work here.
About one in 4 of DeKalb’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, DeKalb has lost 1,441 jobs, to 14,171 in 2023. 6.3% of workers work from home in DeKalb.
| DeKalb | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $46,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 6.3% | 11% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Homes are within reach (about $261K for the typical one, B for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 24 miles. 66.5% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 47.9% across Illinois.
Only 7 of the 768 Illinois towns we compare have a lower share of households owning their home than DeKalb. The typical DeKalb home is worth about $261,000, up 4% in a year, 12% below the Illinois typical home.
| DeKalb | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 42% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,029 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 60% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 87 flood insurance claims have been paid out in DeKalb.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Against the 4,497 U.S. towns with household incomes like DeKalb’s, it is healthier than 89%, so its B− isn’t only a matter of income.
DeKalb beats the Illinois average on 6 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11. Among 767 Illinois towns, just 1 have a higher share of adults who report frequent mental distress than DeKalb.
| DeKalb | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 17% | 17% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 13% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 33% | 33% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 78% | 79% |
| What stands out | DeKalb | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.7% | 7.6% |
| Fewer adults with arthritis | 20.3% | 24.2% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 13.8% | 8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around DeKalb. Close and well known come first.
24 mi MuseumIllinois Railway Museum
in town TheatreEgyptian Theatre, DeKalb
in town MuseumEllwood House
36 mi MuseumMorton Arboretum
30 mi Stadium & arenaBMO Center
27 mi Theme parkSanta's Village Amusement & Water ParkIllinois Railway Museum: The original uploader was Slambo at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 2.0 · Egyptian Theatre, DeKalb: Andy McMurray, CC BY 2.5 · Ellwood House: Paul R. Burley, CC0 · Morton Arboretum: Bruce Marlin, CC BY-SA 2.5 · BMO Center: SimLibrarian, CC0 · Santa's Village Amusement & Water Park: Martin Lewison from The Hague, Zuid-Holland, The Netherlands, CC BY-SA 2.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of DeKalb
College town 26 of every 100 DeKalb residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
6 places in DeKalb on the National Register of Historic Places.
22 notable people were born in DeKalb.
City in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States
DeKalb ( dih-KALB) is a city in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. The population was 40,290 at the 2020 census. The city is named after decorated Franconian-French war hero Johann de Kalb, who died during the American Revolutionary War. Founded in 1856, DeKalb became important in the development and manufacture of barbed wire, especially for agriculture and raising livestock. While agricultural-related industries remain a facet of the city, along with health and services, the city's largest employer in the 21st century is Northern Illinois University, founded in 1895. DeKalb is about 65 miles (105 km) west of downtown Chicago.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with DeKalb.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
DeKalb grades C− overall, better than 20% of U.S. towns and #654 of 767 in Illinois. It grades B− for health, C− for safety and C− for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a C−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
22 notable people were born here, including Cindy Crawford and Richard Jenkins.
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