Cost of living in Palatine 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 Palatine 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 Palatine is 116, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Palatine is 1.2x higher than the national average.
Palatine ranks as the #259 cheapest in Illinois out of 336.
Palatine ranks as the #4,151 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Palatine is $371,602.
The median income in Palatine is $95,950.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Palatine has an overall cost of living index of 116, which is 1.2x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Illinois, Palatine has a cost of living index that's 1.2x higher than Illinois's index of 97.
The standard of living in Palatine ranks as #259 most affordable out of the 336 places we measured in Illinois. By definition, that implies Palatine ranks as the #77 most expensive place in the Prairie State.
For more reading on life in Palatine, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Palatine. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Palatine is 109.
The Groceries index in Palatine is 102.
The Health index in Palatine is 107.
The Housing index in Palatine is 149.
The Transportation index in Palatine is 106.
The Utilities index in Palatine is 90.
| Living Expense | Palatine | Illinois | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 116 | 97 | 100 | |
| Services | 109 | 95 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 102 | 99 | 100 | |
| Health | 107 | 93 | 100 | |
| Housing | 149 | 95 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 106 | 102 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 90 | 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 Palatine is $371,602.
The Median Rent in Palatine is $1,467.
The Median Income in Palatine is $95,950.
The Home Value To Income in Palatine is 3.9x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Palatine is 0.18x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Palatine. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Arlington Heights, IL has a cost of living index of 124, 1.1x Palatine.
Glenview, IL has a cost of living index of 149, 1.3x Palatine.
Elmhurst, IL has a cost of living index of 139, 1.2x Palatine.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Palatine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arlington Heights, IL | 76,220 | 124 | 1.1x |
| Glenview, IL | 47,682 | 149 | 1.3x |
| Elmhurst, IL | 45,538 | 139 | 1.2x |
| Buffalo Grove, IL | 42,824 | 125 | 1.1x |
| Park Ridge, IL | 39,241 | 138 | 1.2x |
| Northbrook, IL | 34,642 | 153 | 1.3x |
| Highland Park, IL | 30,229 | 148 | 1.3x |
| Wilmette, IL | 27,550 | 164 | 1.4x |
| Rolling Meadows, IL | 23,981 | 115 | 1.0x |
| Lake Zurich, IL | 19,727 | 127 | 1.1x |