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Residential comparison · 13 facts

DeKalb, IL vs St. Charles, 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 DeKalb needs about $94,500 in St. Charles to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from St. Charles, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $75,500 in DeKalb.

A few differences

DeKalb vs St. Charles · facet by facet
FacetDeKalb, ILSt. Charles, IL
Median home price$204,700$377,400
2-bedroom rent$1,043/mo$1,826/mo
Property tax rate2.1%2.1%
State & local income tax4.95%4.95%
Sales tax8.85%8.85%
Cost of living index85106
Groceries index9898
Utilities$165/mo$165/mo
Median household income$46,481$114,300
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: DeKalb, IL · St. Charles, IL
Questions & answers
Is DeKalb cheaper than St. Charles?
DeKalb has the lower day-to-day cost index (85 vs 106 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
What household income in St. Charles equals $85,000 in DeKalb?
A household earning $85,000 in DeKalb needs about $94,500 in St. Charles to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of St. Charles lifestyle costs about $75,500 in DeKalb.