With more than 170,000 residents, Aurora, the state’s second largest city, provides Chicagoland’s western suburbs a touch of the big city. From its schools and residents to its businesses and churches, diversity reigns citywide.

Located 35 miles west of the Loop, Aurora has experienced a strong resurgence after industries closed and unemployment hampered the city in the 20th century’s final decades. City leaders responded to the downturn with an ambitious plan of downtown redevelopment, annexations, residential subdivisions, and business parks. Today, the city couples its 160-year-old history with the fresh faces of new residents and commercial spaces.

Aided by the explosive residential growth of adjacent communities, including eastern neighbor Naperville, Aurora’s population has continued an upward climb throughout the last decade. While original farmhouses and Victorians pepper the city streets, the town’s middle-class homes hold its heart.

“You’ll see homes regularly in the $120,000-180,000 range,” said Ed Kettley of Kettley and Company Realtors in Aurora. “The basic starter home will be a two- to three-bedroom, one-level home with two or more baths.”

The city’s residential golden range, however, resides in the $300,000-400,000 window, reports Kettley.

“You’ll find the best deals on new construction that sit on big lots with at least four bedrooms and three bathrooms,” Kettley said. “Aurora has that urban quality, though, where it has million dollar homes as well as homes under $100,000. It’s a large, diverse city and a better value than what’s further east.”

The city’s economic resurgence includes ambitious civic plans that can take advantage of easy transportation access via the Metra train line and I-88. Downtown revitalization efforts began in the late 1980s when leaders created a tax increment financing (TIF) district to help spur development. Intrigued, investors entered the city to renovate, refurbish, and refashion the city’s core.

Split by the Fox River, Aurora’s downtown now spans nearly 30 blocks of eclectic commercial destinations, architectural gems, entertainment venues, and dining hotspots and hosts a range of annual community events such as the Downtown Alive! celebration and the Midwest Literary Festival.

“As Aurora progressed, businesses started to take notice and Aurora is now that next metropolitan region west of the city,” Kettley said. On the educational side, Aurora has long been a leader in education, creating the state’s first public school system in 1851. A trio of public high schools—East Aurora, West Aurora, and Waubonsie Valley—serve nearly 10,000 students and three out of five teachers hold an advanced degree. A small portion of the city is within the Oswego School district.

Five private high schools, including the long-established Marmion Academy, the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, Rosary High School for girls and Aurora Central Catholic High School, all call Aurora home.

In addition, the 4000-student Aurora University is also located on the city’s far west side.

City of Aurora
44 East Downer Place
630-264-4636

Official Web site: www.aurora-il.org

Electricity: ComEd, 1-800-334-7661
Natural Gas: NICOR, 888-642-6748
Water Service: City of Aurora Water Billing, 630-844-3611
Waste Service: Fox Metro W.R.D., 630-301-6881
Refuse/Garbage Service: BFI, 630-892-9294
Cable: Comcast, 866-594-1234

Greater Aurora Chamber of Commerce
www.aurorachamber.com
630-897-9214

Newspaper
The Beacon-News

Population: 142,990
Median household income: $54,861

Hispanic origin (any race): 33%
• 70%
• 11%
• 3%
• 15%

• White
• Black
• Asian
• Other

• 24%
• 34%
• 32%
• 9%

• No diploma
• High school
• Bachelor's
• Master's & above

• 2%
• 8%
• 13%
• 14%
• 14%
• 7%
• 13%
• 2%
• 4%
• 9%
• 9%
• 3%
• 3%

• <5
• 5-9
• 10-14
• 15-19
• 20-24
• 25-29
• 30-34
• 35-39
• 40-44
• 45-59
• 60-89
• 90+
• Work@home