Should I Move To
Des Plaines, Illinois is a population of 60,087 . Cost of living is moderate — 3% above the national average, with median rent around $1,300/month and median household income of $86,552. Overall it earns an UrbRank Score of 47/100 (grade D), ranking #618 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Des Plaines's composite cost-of-living index sits at 103 (US average = 100), placing it in the moderate tier. At $1,300/month median rent against $86,552 median household income, residents spend about 18% of household income on rent — well within the 30% rule of thumb. Median home value is $304,100.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Des Plaines has a cold-winter climate — summer highs average 82°F and winter lows average 22°F, with 38 inches of precipitation annually. Somewhat walkable — many neighborhoods support daily errands without a car. Crime data isn't available for this city. Air quality is moderate (AQI 51).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Des Plaines is a less obvious fit for families. It earns a Score of 51/100 (grade C-) on the families profile. Especially strong on job market (65/100), weakest on environmental quality (17/100).
Des Plaines is a less obvious fit for retirees. It earns a Score of 46/100 (grade D) on the retirees profile. Especially strong on job market (65/100), weakest on environmental quality (17/100).
Des Plaines is a less obvious fit for remote workers. It earns a Score of 45/100 (grade D) on the remote workers profile. Especially strong on job market (65/100), weakest on environmental quality (17/100).
Des Plaines is a moderate fit for young professionals. It earns a Score of 57/100 (grade C) on the young professionals profile. Especially strong on job market (65/100), weakest on environmental quality (17/100).
Des Plaines, Illinois has an overall UrbRank Score of 47/100 (grade D), ranked #618 nationally. The score is a weighted average across affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Des Plaines's cost-of-living index is 103 (US average = 100), so it's moderate — 3% above the national average. Median rent is $1,300/month.
Des Plaines has a cold-winter climate. Summer highs average 82°F and winter lows average 22°F, with 38 inches of annual precipitation.
Des Plaines has a Walk Score of 65/100. Somewhat walkable — many neighborhoods support daily errands without a car.
Des Plaines has a population of 60,087, with 38% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher and a median age of 43.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Des Plaines side-by-side with any other US city — housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality of life metrics displayed together. The leaderboard pages also show how Des Plaines ranks for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Des Plaines with other Illinois cities scored on UrbRank.
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