Should I Move To
Downers Grove, Illinois is a population of 49,996 . Cost of living is moderate — 6% above the national average, with median rent around $1,535/month and median household income of $115,461. Overall it earns an UrbRank Score of 47/100 (grade D), ranking #620 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.
Downers Grove's composite cost-of-living index sits at 106 (US average = 100), placing it in the moderate tier. At $1,535/month median rent against $115,461 median household income, residents spend about 16% of household income on rent — well within the 30% rule of thumb. Median home value is $425,000.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Downers Grove has a cold-winter climate — summer highs average 82°F and winter lows average 22°F, with 38 inches of precipitation annually. Car-dependent for most errands, with pockets of walkability downtown. Crime data isn't available for this city. Air quality is moderate (AQI 51).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Downers Grove is a less obvious fit for families. It earns a Score of 54/100 (grade C-) on the families profile. Especially strong on education (89/100), weakest on environmental quality (17/100).
Downers Grove is a less obvious fit for retirees. It earns a Score of 39/100 (grade F) on the retirees profile. Especially strong on education (89/100), weakest on environmental quality (17/100).
Downers Grove is a less obvious fit for remote workers. It earns a Score of 39/100 (grade F) on the remote workers profile. Especially strong on education (89/100), weakest on environmental quality (17/100).
Downers Grove is a moderate fit for young professionals. It earns a Score of 59/100 (grade C) on the young professionals profile. Especially strong on education (89/100), weakest on environmental quality (17/100).
Downers Grove, Illinois has an overall UrbRank Score of 47/100 (grade D), ranked #620 nationally. The score is a weighted average across affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Downers Grove's cost-of-living index is 106 (US average = 100), so it's moderate — 6% above the national average. Median rent is $1,535/month.
Downers Grove has a cold-winter climate. Summer highs average 82°F and winter lows average 22°F, with 38 inches of annual precipitation.
Downers Grove has a Walk Score of 49/100. Car-dependent for most errands, with pockets of walkability downtown.
Downers Grove has a population of 49,996, with 59% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher and a median age of 43.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Downers Grove 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 Downers Grove 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 Downers Grove with other Illinois cities scored on UrbRank.
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