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Cook County · Illinois · Midwest · 28k residents

Wilmette, IL: cost of living, taxes & quality of life

Residential facts for Wilmette: housing, taxes, monthly costs, climate, schools, and household income, 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.

The acs median home value in Wilmette is $810,600, 189% above the Illinois median. A two-bedroom rents for about $2,097/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 134 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $190,662 a year.

What the numbers show

Source-confirmed findings
  • Housing value: The ACS median home value in Wilmette is $810,600, 189.3% above the median for ACS-covered places in Illinois.
  • Household income: Median household income is $190,662, 107% above the median for ACS-covered places in Illinois.
  • Adult education: 83.6% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, 116% above the median for ACS-covered places in Illinois.
  • Home value to income: The ACS median home value is about 4.3 times median household income. This is a comparison measure, not a mortgage qualification or affordability promise.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates(2024 ACS 5-year; tables B01003, B15003, B19013, B25077). Geography: Census place where available. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

WhereToHQ calculates the comparisons. Figures are estimates for context, not a guarantee or personal financial advice. Read the methodology or send a correction.

What makes this place distinctive

A factual snapshot of the place, based on the profile data. It is not a tourism or cultural claim.

A researched local story is not published for this city yet. The signals below are the verified profile context.

  • Scale: A smaller city in the profile data, with fewer than 50,000 residents.
  • Setting: The profile places Wilmette about 14 miles from the nearest tracked lake.
  • Climate signal: The profile records 190 sunny days and 34 inches of annual snow.
  • Daily pace: The profile records a walk score of 30 and an average commute of 29 minutes.

WhereToHQ derives these signals from the committed city dataset. Read the methodology for coverage and source limits.

Compare Wilmette side by side

Cost of living index

134

cheaper than 13% of US cities

ACS median home value

$810,600

+189% vs state mediancheaper than 9% of US cities

2-bedroom rent

$2,097/mo

cheaper than 18% of US cities

Median household income

$190,662

+107% vs state medianhigher than 98% of US cities

Housing momentum

How fast Wilmette's housing market is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.

92/100

Heating

Home prices YoY: +11.3% (top 1%)Home prices MoM: +0.6% (top 1%)Rents MoM: +0.1% (near US average)
Momentum rising · +36 over 2 yr

Ranks Wilmette's home-price and rent 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. Not investment or relocation advice.

$a year

Adjusted by Wilmette's cost-of-living index versus the US average.

All facets · Wilmette
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Real listings in Wilmette

Homes on ZillowRealtor.comRentals on ZillowApartments.com

Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.

Questions & answers
What is the cost of living in Wilmette, IL?
Wilmette indexes at 134 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $2,097/mo and a acs median home value of $810,600.
How much does a house cost in Wilmette?
The acs median home value in Wilmette is $810,600, 189% above the Illinois median (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
How much is rent in Wilmette?
A two-bedroom in Wilmette rents for about $2,097/mo.