Cost of living in Wheaton 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 Wheaton 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 Wheaton is 128, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Wheaton is 1.3x higher than the national average.
Wheaton ranks as the #299 cheapest in Illinois out of 336.
Wheaton ranks as the #4,889 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Wheaton is $486,774.
The median income in Wheaton is $119,566.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Wheaton has an overall cost of living index of 128, which is 1.3x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Illinois, Wheaton has a cost of living index that's 1.3x higher than Illinois's index of 97.
The standard of living in Wheaton ranks as #299 most affordable out of the 336 places we measured in Illinois. By definition, that implies Wheaton ranks as the #37 most expensive place in the Prairie State.
For more reading on life in Wheaton, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Wheaton. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Wheaton is 108.
The Groceries index in Wheaton is 97.
The Health index in Wheaton is 98.
The Housing index in Wheaton is 188.
The Transportation index in Wheaton is 112.
The Utilities index in Wheaton is 80.
| Living Expense | Wheaton | Illinois | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 128 | 97 | 100 | |
| Services | 108 | 95 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 97 | 99 | 100 | |
| Health | 98 | 93 | 100 | |
| Housing | 188 | 95 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 112 | 102 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 80 | 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 Wheaton is $486,774.
The Median Rent in Wheaton is $1,731.
The Median Income in Wheaton is $119,566.
The Home Value To Income in Wheaton is 4.1x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Wheaton is 0.17x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Wheaton. 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, 1.0x Wheaton.
Arlington Heights, IL has a cost of living index of 124, 1.0x Wheaton.
Downers Grove, IL has a cost of living index of 125, 1.0x Wheaton.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Wheaton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naperville, IL | 149,424 | 133 | 1.0x |
| Arlington Heights, IL | 76,220 | 124 | 1.0x |
| Downers Grove, IL | 49,867 | 125 | 1.0x |
| Elmhurst, IL | 45,538 | 139 | 1.1x |
| Lombard, IL | 43,722 | 119 | 0.9x |
| Bartlett, IL | 40,531 | 122 | 1.0x |
| Carol Stream, IL | 39,427 | 114 | 0.9x |
| Park Ridge, IL | 39,241 | 138 | 1.1x |
| Glendale Heights, IL | 32,864 | 106 | 0.8x |
| Glen Ellyn, IL | 28,270 | 135 | 1.1x |