Arlington Heights vs Buffalo Grove
Arlington Heights, Illinois versus Buffalo Grove, Illinois: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Arlington Heights and Buffalo Grove score about the same overall (44 vs 46 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Arlington Heights | Buffalo Grove |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $114k | $128k |
| Cost of Living | $62k | $62k |
| Home Value | $397k | $381k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $3k |
| Property Tax Rate | 2.21% | 2.63% |
| Income Tax | 5.00% | 5.00% |
| Sales Tax | 8.86% | 8.86% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 15.63% | 15.76% |
| Unemployment | 3.5% | 3.3% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 25°F | 25°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 75°F | 75°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 37.3 in | 38.6 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 38.4 in | 43.1 in |
| Sunny Days | 245 days | 245 days |
| Summer Humidity | 63°F | 63°F |
| Comfortable Days | 94 days | 94 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 72.4 | 65.0 |
| Air Quality | 53 AQI | 53 AQI |
| School Quality | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Violent Crime | 539/100k | 148/100k |
| Property Crime | 1082/100k | 615/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 76,794 | 42,934 |
| Median Age | 42.8 | 41.6 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.39 | 0.51 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.98 | 0.92 |
| Political Leaning | D+25 | D+25 |
| White (%) | 74.8% | 61.4% |
| Black (%) | 2.6% | 3.6% |
| Hispanic (%) | 8.9% | 6.8% |
| Asian (%) | 11.1% | 25.4% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 2.6% | 2.8% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 28 min | 29 min |
| Walkability | 10.6/20 | 10.4/20 |
| Airport Distance | 9 mi | 14 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 92.9% | 94.1% |
| Amenities Nearby | 73.83 | 82.22 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Arlington Heights or Buffalo Grove more affordable?
- Buffalo Grove has the lower cost of living: its index is $62k, compared with Arlington Heights's $62k and Buffalo Grove's $62k. Median rent is $2k in Arlington Heights versus $2k in Buffalo Grove.
- Is Arlington Heights or Buffalo Grove safer?
- Buffalo Grove has the lower violent crime rate. Arlington Heights reports 539/100k and Buffalo Grove reports 148/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Arlington Heights or Buffalo Grove?
- The median home value is $397k in Arlington Heights and $381k in Buffalo Grove, so homes are more affordable in Buffalo Grove.