Palatine vs Vernon Hills
Palatine, Illinois versus Vernon Hills, Illinois: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Palatine and Vernon Hills score about the same overall (44 vs 44 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Palatine | Vernon Hills |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $93k | $117k |
| Cost of Living | $62k | $62k |
| Home Value | $337k | $371k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $3k |
| Property Tax Rate | 2.35% | 2.66% |
| Income Tax | 5.00% | 5.00% |
| Sales Tax | 8.86% | 8.86% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 16.41% | 16.33% |
| Unemployment | 4.7% | 3.7% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 25°F | 25°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 75°F | 74°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 37.3 in | 38.6 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 38.5 in | 43.1 in |
| Sunny Days | 245 days | 245 days |
| Summer Humidity | 63°F | 63°F |
| Comfortable Days | 94 days | 93 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 65.8 | 54.2 |
| Air Quality | 53 AQI | 52 AQI |
| School Quality | 100.0 | 97.7 |
| Violent Crime | 916/100k | 853/100k |
| Property Crime | 908/100k | 1265/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 67,223 | 26,750 |
| Median Age | 39.4 | 40.6 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.54 | 0.52 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.95 | 0.98 |
| Political Leaning | D+25 | D+25 |
| White (%) | 60.3% | 57.2% |
| Black (%) | 4.3% | 1.6% |
| Hispanic (%) | 19.7% | 11.9% |
| Asian (%) | 13.0% | 25.5% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 2.7% | 3.7% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 29 min | 27 min |
| Walkability | 10.4/20 | 9.5/20 |
| Airport Distance | 12 mi | 18 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 95.2% | 94.2% |
| Amenities Nearby | 69.77 | 127.48 |
| 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 Palatine or Vernon Hills more affordable?
- Vernon Hills has the lower cost of living: its index is $62k, compared with Palatine's $62k and Vernon Hills's $62k. Median rent is $1k in Palatine versus $2k in Vernon Hills.
- Is Palatine or Vernon Hills safer?
- Vernon Hills has the lower violent crime rate. Palatine reports 916/100k and Vernon Hills reports 853/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Palatine or Vernon Hills?
- The median home value is $337k in Palatine and $371k in Vernon Hills, so homes are more affordable in Palatine.