Dekalb County · Illinois · Midwest · 40k residents
DeKalb, IL: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on DeKalb: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, with the Illinois median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,143/wk. Illinois's corporate income tax rate is 9.5%. Commercial electricity averages 11.8¢/kWh.
Compare DeKalb side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$1,143/wk
Corporate income tax
9.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher
33.7%
Commercial electricity
11.8¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast DeKalb's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
46/100
Steady
Ranks DeKalb's residential building-permit and jobs growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| ACS median home value | $204,700 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $175 |
| Property tax rate | 2.1% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $877/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,043/mo |
| State & local income tax | 4.95% |
| Sales tax | 8.85% |
| Corporate income tax | 9.5% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $1,143/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33.7% |
| Commercial electricity | 11.8¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | 19.6/1k |
| Wage: Software developer | $134,380 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $100,490 |
| Wage: General manager | $109,390 |
| Wage: Customer service | $47,100 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $38,450 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $62,300 |
| Wage: Electrician | $102,350 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $35,820 |
| Cost of living index | 85 |
| Groceries index | 98 |
| Utilities | $165/mo |
| Transit pass | $75/mo |
| Gas price | $3.65/gal |
| Healthcare index | 98 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,300/mo |
| Median household income | $46,481 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% |
| Population | 40k |
| Crime index | 50/100 |
| School rating | 6.3/10 |
| Walkability | 30/100 |
| Disaster risk | 81/100 |
| Avg. commute | 29 min |
| Sunny days / year | 190 days |
| July high | 83°F |
| January low | 13°F |
| Annual snowfall | 33 in |
| Home price YoY | +5.1% |
| Home price MoM | +0.3% |
| Rent YoY | +7.6% |
| Rent MoM | +0.7% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | +0.6% |
| Building permits YoY | -27.2% |
| Ocean coast | 753 mi |
| Big lake | 45 mi |
| Mountains | 319 mi |
| Major airport | 44 mi |
| Ski resort | 212 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Sycamore, IL · 19k
- Belvidere, IL · 25k
- St. Charles, IL · 33k
- Geneva, IL · 21k
- Huntley, IL · 28k
Similar size
- Bartlett, IL · 41k
- Crystal Lake, IL · 41k
- Romeoville, IL · 41k
- Belleville, IL · 41k
- Carol Stream, IL · 39k
Real listings in DeKalb
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- Is DeKalb a good place to run a business?
- Illinois's corporate income tax rate is 9.5%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,143/wk; commercial electricity averages 11.8¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- What is the cost of living in DeKalb, IL?
- DeKalb indexes at 85 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,043/mo and a acs median home value of $204,700.
- How much does a house cost in DeKalb?
- The acs median home value in DeKalb is $204,700 (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in DeKalb?
- A two-bedroom in DeKalb rents for about $1,043/mo.