Aurora Economy Builds Local Strength as Global Pressures Mount

Aurora has created 5,771 new jobs since 2020, with retail trade expanding 62 percent and transportation and warehousing adding 1,167 positions.

These local gains arrive at a moment when broader global developments can ripple into supply chains, labor markets and consumer spending that reach mid-sized cities like Aurora. The city’s employment growth of 7.5 percent recently outpaced both the state of Illinois at 1 percent and the Chicago metropolitan area at 2.2 percent, giving officials a concrete record to point to when discussing stability.

Business activity on specific streets

Pure Skin Solutions at 26 S Stolp Ave marked its sixth year in the city’s Small Business Spotlight series, while Aurora Bank & Trust at 2287 W Galena Blvd appeared in the same program. The City of Aurora also continued its Business Recognition Awards, first established in 2005, to highlight firms that demonstrate resiliency and innovation.

Health Care and Social Assistance remains the largest sector with 10,322 workers, followed by manufacturing, retail trade and expanding tech areas. Manufacturing alone accounts for more than 18 percent of local employment, while top-paying fields include management of companies at an average $131,443, finance and insurance at $108,041, and public administration at $105,704.

Tourism and alliance efforts

Tourism generated $268 million for the local economy in 2022, supported 3,000 hospitality jobs and produced $13 million in tax revenue. The newly formed Aurora Regional Economic Alliance is preparing a five-year strategic plan centered on workforce development and minority-owned business support.

The median household income stands at $96,345 and the median home value at $280,878, figures that reflect an affordable local market relative to national benchmarks. In 2024 the city recorded 76 new business ribbon cuttings, following 97 in 2022 and 74 in 2023.

Local leaders continue to track how international conditions intersect with these strengths, focusing on maintaining the pipeline of new establishments and the growth already recorded in key sectors.