Palatine vs Wheeling
Palatine, Illinois versus Wheeling, 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 Wheeling score about the same overall (44 vs 44 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Palatine | Wheeling |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $93k | $80k |
| Cost of Living | $62k | $62k |
| Home Value | $337k | $237k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 2.35% | 2.42% |
| Income Tax | 5.00% | 5.00% |
| Sales Tax | 8.86% | 8.86% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 16.41% | 15.10% |
| Unemployment | 4.7% | 5.2% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 25°F | 25°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 75°F | 75°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 37.3 in | 32.3 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 38.5 in | 33.6 in |
| Sunny Days | 245 days | 245 days |
| Summer Humidity | 63°F | 63°F |
| Comfortable Days | 94 days | 95 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 65.8 | 82.0 |
| Air Quality | 53 AQI | 52 AQI |
| School Quality | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Violent Crime | 916/100k | 902/100k |
| Property Crime | 908/100k | 963/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 67,223 | 38,823 |
| Median Age | 39.4 | 39.7 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.54 | 0.63 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.95 | 0.96 |
| Political Leaning | D+25 | D+25 |
| White (%) | 60.3% | 48.1% |
| Black (%) | 4.3% | 1.1% |
| Hispanic (%) | 19.7% | 31.8% |
| Asian (%) | 13.0% | 16.4% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 2.7% | 2.6% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 29 min | 27 min |
| Walkability | 10.4/20 | 11.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 12 mi | 11 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 95.2% | 91.3% |
| Amenities Nearby | 69.77 | 112.30 |
| 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 Wheeling more affordable?
- Wheeling has the lower cost of living: its index is $62k, compared with Palatine's $62k and Wheeling's $62k. Median rent is $1k in Palatine versus $1k in Wheeling.
- Is Palatine or Wheeling safer?
- Wheeling has the lower violent crime rate. Palatine reports 916/100k and Wheeling reports 902/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Palatine or Wheeling?
- The median home value is $337k in Palatine and $237k in Wheeling, so homes are more affordable in Wheeling.