?WhereToHQ

Residential comparison · 13 facts

Carol Stream, IL vs West Chicago, IL

Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.

A household earning $85,000 in Carol Stream needs about $84,500 in West Chicago to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from West Chicago, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $85,500 in Carol Stream.

A few differences

Carol Stream vs West Chicago · facet by facet
FacetCarol Stream, ILWest Chicago, IL
Median home price$335,000$336,800
2-bedroom rent$1,628/mo$1,416/mo
Property tax rate2.1%2.1%
State & local income tax4.95%4.95%
Sales tax8.85%8.85%
Cost of living index10198
Groceries index9898
Utilities$165/mo$165/mo
Median household income$102,309$99,927
Unemployment rate4.7%4.7%
Crime index50/10050/100
School rating6.3/106.3/10
Sunny days / year190 days190 days

Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.

Full profiles: Carol Stream, IL · West Chicago, IL
Questions & answers
Is Carol Stream cheaper than West Chicago?
West Chicago has the lower day-to-day cost index (98 vs 101 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
What household income in West Chicago equals $85,000 in Carol Stream?
A household earning $85,000 in Carol Stream needs about $84,500 in West Chicago to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of West Chicago lifestyle costs about $85,500 in Carol Stream.