Cook County, Illinois
Among the top 14% of US counties for getting around.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 1% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade B, better than 66% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade F, better than 10% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade A, better than 86% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade C, better than 50% of US counties
- top 1% for airport distance
- top 1% for walkability
- bottom 1% for natural disaster risk
Cook County is a county in Illinois with about 5,225,000 residents. It grades A for getting around and F for affordability. Standout strengths include airport distance, walkability, and school quality. It rates lower on air quality and natural disaster risk.
Official websitecookcountyil.gov (opens in new tab)
Climate
Warm summers · Cold winters · Moderate rain · Snowy
very cold
cold
cool
comf.
warm
cool
cold
v.cold
76%47%clearovercast
Precipitation 4.3 in2.2 in
humid 99%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$78k86th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$55kbetter than 10% of US counties
Home Value$294k87th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$1kbetter than 8% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$2kbetter than 5% of US counties
Property Tax Rate2.02%better than 3% of US counties
Income Tax5.00%better than 46% of US counties
Sales Tax8.86%better than 15% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden15.51%better than 7% of US counties
Unemployment7.1%better than 16% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)26°F25th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)76°F41st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation40.1 in43rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall38.2 inbetter than 21% of US counties
Sunny Days245 daysbetter than 60% of US counties
Summer Humidity63°Fbetter than 63% of US counties
Comfortable Days87 daysbetter than 71% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk100.0better than 1% of US counties
Air Quality57 AQIbetter than 2% of US counties
School Quality100.0better than 96% of US counties
Violent Crime2025/100kbetter than 6% of US counties
Property Crime2190/100kbetter than 11% of US counties
Community
Population5,225,367100th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age37.519th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.6898th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9619th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+512nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)41.1%11th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)22.4%86th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)25.9%88th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)7.6%98th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)3.0%39th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time32 minbetter than 9% of US counties
Walkability13.6/20better than 99% of US counties
Airport Distance8 mibetter than 99% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access87.9%better than 78% of US counties
Amenities Nearby1.21better than 39% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessModeratebetter than 38% of US counties
Frequently asked questions
- Is Cook County an affordable place to live?
- Cook County is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $55k, better than 10% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Cook County?
- The median home value in Cook County is $294k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Cook County?
- Median household income in Cook County is $78k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Cook County?
- Median gross rent in Cook County is $1k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Cook County safe?
- Cook County is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 2025/100k (better than 6%). Property crime is 2190/100k.
- What is the weather like in Cook County?
- Cook County averages 76°F in July and 26°F in January, with 40.1 in of annual precipitation and about 245 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Cook County?
- Public-school quality in Cook County is above average, scoring better than 96% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Cook County?
- The average one-way commute in Cook County is 32 min.
Other counties in Illinois
Explore Illinois
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)