Cost of living in Darien research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Darien is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Illinois, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Darien is 121, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Darien is 1.2x higher than the national average.
Darien ranks as the #280 cheapest in Illinois out of 336.
Darien ranks as the #4,476 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Darien is $437,000.
The median income in Darien is $109,354.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Darien has an overall cost of living index of 121, which is 1.2x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Illinois, Darien has a cost of living index that's 1.2x higher than Illinois's index of 97.
The standard of living in Darien ranks as #280 most affordable out of the 336 places we measured in Illinois. By definition, that implies Darien ranks as the #56 most expensive place in the Prairie State.
For more reading on life in Darien, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Darien. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Darien is 107.
The Groceries index in Darien is 99.
The Health index in Darien is 97.
The Housing index in Darien is 172.
The Transportation index in Darien is 112.
The Utilities index in Darien is 82.
| Living Expense | Darien | Illinois | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 121 | 97 | 100 | |
| Services | 107 | 95 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 99 | 99 | 100 | |
| Health | 97 | 93 | 100 | |
| Housing | 172 | 95 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 112 | 102 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 82 | 91 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Illinois, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Darien is $437,000.
The Median Rent in Darien is $1,671.
The Median Income in Darien is $109,354.
The Home Value To Income in Darien is 4.0x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Darien is 0.18x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Darien. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Naperville, IL has a cost of living index of 133, 1.1x Darien.
Wheaton, IL has a cost of living index of 128, 1.1x Darien.
Downers Grove, IL has a cost of living index of 125, 1.0x Darien.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Darien |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naperville, IL | 149,424 | 133 | 1.1x |
| Wheaton, IL | 53,453 | 128 | 1.1x |
| Downers Grove, IL | 49,867 | 125 | 1.0x |
| Elmhurst, IL | 45,538 | 139 | 1.1x |
| Park Ridge, IL | 39,241 | 138 | 1.1x |
| Woodridge, IL | 33,889 | 115 | 1.0x |
| Glen Ellyn, IL | 28,270 | 135 | 1.1x |
| Westmont, IL | 24,201 | 119 | 1.0x |
| Lisle, IL | 23,413 | 124 | 1.0x |
| Lemont, IL | 17,643 | 126 | 1.0x |