Cost of Living
per year
per month
How Palatine's prices compare to the US city average across major spending categories.
How far does your salary go in Palatine?
Your $100,000 in Palatine has the same purchasing power as $95,411 in the average US city. You'd need $4,589 more here to maintain that standard of living.
Demographics and workforce data from the US Census ACS 5-Year.
bachelor's or higher
Climate, safety, and walkability indicators.
See a side-by-side breakdown of cost of living, housing, and salaries.
Popular comparisons
Sorted by affordability — most affordable first.
Within 10 points of Palatine's cost index of 105, sorted by closest match.
Wondering whether you should move to Palatine? It depends on what you're optimizing for, but the city has real arguments in its favor: solidly above-average earnings and crime statistics come out reassuring, plus 3 more things worth knowing. The data behind each is below.
Median household income in Palatine is $93,383, a step above the national median of about $75k. The local job market leans toward industries that pay better than average, and that shows up in the take-home for most working households here.
Palatine reports roughly 1,074 crime incidents per 100,000 residents, well under the US average of about 3,500 per 100k. As always, citywide numbers paper over real differences between neighborhoods — but the broader trend here is on the calmer end of the US distribution.
Palatine earns a Walk Score of 77/100 — above the US median, with denser neighborhoods scoring higher than the citywide aggregate suggests. A car is still useful for longer trips, but everyday life works on foot for a lot of residents.
Palatine's Bike Score is 70/100 — the kind of number you only get when a city has built real bike infrastructure (protected lanes, connected routes, drivers who expect cyclists). For commuting or just for getting around, the bike is a serious option here, not a hobby.
49% of adults 25 and over in Palatine hold a bachelor's degree or higher — meaningfully above the US average of around 36%. That correlates with the things you'd expect: stronger schools, more white-collar employers, more bookstores than the population alone would predict.
Reasons are pulled from Palatine's actual data — Census ACS, BLS, BEA, NOAA, EPA AQS, FBI, and Walk Score. We don't list positives that aren't supported by the numbers, which is why different cities show different sections.
Yes — and a lot of it. With winter averages near 22°F, Palatine sees real accumulation most years. Salt for the steps, tires that handle ice, and a sense of humor about February are the usual costs of admission.
Cold enough to plan around. Winter in Palatine averages roughly 22°F, with stretches where daytime highs don't break freezing for weeks. Decent insulation, a real coat, and a car that starts in cold weather are non-negotiable.
Hot, but not desert-hot. Summer in Palatine runs about 82°F on average, with afternoons in the 90s and humidity that varies by region. AC is standard rather than optional.
Palatine falls in roughly USDA Zone 7. The zone classification is based on average annual minimum temperatures, so it's the right lookup for whether perennials and trees will overwinter here. Note that this is approximate from our winter-temperature data — check the USDA map for the exact zone before betting an expensive plant on it.
Palatine is at about 768 feet (234 m) above sea level. High enough to be solidly above any coastal concern, low enough that altitude isn't a factor.
By the numbers, yes. Palatine reports roughly 1,074 crime incidents per 100,000 residents — well under the US average of about 3,500 per 100k. The big caveat applies as always: every city has neighborhoods that look nothing like the citywide average. But the citywide average here is genuinely good.
Roughly average. Palatine's cost-of-living index is 105, putting it in the band where rent, groceries, and utilities track the national norm. Not a bargain, not a premium.
Yes — Palatine is one of the more walkable US cities. A Walk Score of 77/100 means most daily errands can be done on foot in most neighborhoods. Many residents go car-free comfortably.
Roughly $73,367 a year would match the lifestyle of someone earning $70,000 in an average US city. That's a starting point, not a target — negotiate higher when you can. Median rent in Palatine runs about $1,427/mo — keeping housing under 30% of gross income points to a similar floor on what you'd want to earn.