?WhereToHQ

Residential comparison · 13 facts

Carol Stream, IL vs Wheaton, 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 $92,500 in Wheaton to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Wheaton, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $77,500 in Carol Stream.

A few differences

Carol Stream vs Wheaton · facet by facet
FacetCarol Stream, ILWheaton, IL
Median home price$335,000$455,700
2-bedroom rent$1,628/mo$1,757/mo
Property tax rate2.1%2.1%
State & local income tax4.95%4.95%
Sales tax8.85%8.85%
Cost of living index101109
Groceries index9898
Utilities$165/mo$165/mo
Median household income$102,309$120,008
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 · Wheaton, IL
Questions & answers
Is Carol Stream cheaper than Wheaton?
Carol Stream has the lower day-to-day cost index (101 vs 109 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
What household income in Wheaton equals $85,000 in Carol Stream?
A household earning $85,000 in Carol Stream needs about $92,500 in Wheaton to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Wheaton lifestyle costs about $77,500 in Carol Stream.