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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Waukegan, IL vs Joliet, IL

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Summary

Joliet spends 30.8% more per capita than Waukegan ($5,760/person difference). Waukegan, IL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Waukegan, IL
Pop. 89,435
A
90/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency96
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Joliet, IL
Pop. 150,221
D
40/100
Budget Balance37
Debt Burden0
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency69
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Waukegan
Joliet
Total Spending
$1.2B
$2.8B
Spending / Capita
$12,915
$18,675
Total Revenue
$4.3B
$2.0B
Revenue / Capita
$48,533
$13,072
Total Debt
$0
$639.9M
Debt / Capita
$0
$4,260
Population
89,435
150,221
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Waukegan$0
Joliet$208
Highways & Roads
Waukegan$0
Joliet$165
Parks & Recreation
Waukegan$118
Joliet$459
Health
Waukegan$458
Joliet$450

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

WaukeganJoliet
Sales Tax
$32
$323
Income Tax
$0
$1,006
Intergovernmental
$4,312
$12,066
Charges & Fees
$1,728
$2,156
Other
$1,050
$3,429

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

WaukeganJoliet
Fire Protection
$0
$208
Highways & Roads
$0
$165
Public Welfare
$984
$2,118
Health
$458
$450
Hospitals
$377
$485
Parks & Recreation
$118
$459
Housing
$5,135
$3,292
Sewerage
$311
$94
Utilities
$1,645
$3,400
Other
$3,888
$8,005
A
Waukegan, IL
Fiscal Health Score: 90/100
Excellent fiscal health
D
Joliet, IL
Fiscal Health Score: 40/100
Below average fiscal health

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