Buffalo Grove vs Highland Park
Buffalo Grove, Illinois versus Highland Park, Illinois: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Buffalo Grove and Highland Park score about the same overall (46 vs 47 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Buffalo Grove | Highland Park |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $128k | $160k |
| Cost of Living | $62k | $62k |
| Home Value | $381k | $593k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $4k |
| Property Tax Rate | 2.63% | 1.69% |
| Income Tax | 5.00% | 5.00% |
| Sales Tax | 8.86% | 8.86% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 15.76% | 14.19% |
| Unemployment | 3.3% | 3.4% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 25°F | 25°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 75°F | 74°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 38.6 in | 39.3 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 43.1 in | 33.6 in |
| Sunny Days | 245 days | 245 days |
| Summer Humidity | 63°F | 63°F |
| Comfortable Days | 94 days | 93 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 65.0 | 49.4 |
| Air Quality | 53 AQI | 52 AQI |
| School Quality | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Violent Crime | 148/100k | 262/100k |
| Property Crime | 615/100k | 1173/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 42,934 | 30,209 |
| Median Age | 41.6 | 48.0 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.51 | 0.25 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.92 | 0.94 |
| Political Leaning | D+25 | D+25 |
| White (%) | 61.4% | 82.6% |
| Black (%) | 3.6% | 0.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 6.8% | 10.1% |
| Asian (%) | 25.4% | 2.9% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 2.8% | 3.5% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 29 min | 29 min |
| Walkability | 10.4/20 | 13.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 14 mi | 16 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 94.1% | 93.2% |
| Amenities Nearby | 82.22 | 87.72 |
| 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 Buffalo Grove or Highland Park more affordable?
- Highland Park has the lower cost of living: its index is $62k, compared with Buffalo Grove's $62k and Highland Park's $62k. Median rent is $2k in Buffalo Grove versus $2k in Highland Park.
- Is Buffalo Grove or Highland Park safer?
- Buffalo Grove has the lower violent crime rate. Buffalo Grove reports 148/100k and Highland Park reports 262/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Buffalo Grove or Highland Park?
- The median home value is $381k in Buffalo Grove and $593k in Highland Park, so homes are more affordable in Buffalo Grove.