Should I Move To
Elmhurst, Illinois comes in at about 45,648 residents. Cost of living comes out moderate — 6% above the national average. Rent typically lands near $1,843/mo, and the median household income is about $143,492. Overall, 50/100 on our composite score, which works out to a C-, putting it at #493 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.
Cost-of-living index of 106 (with 100 as the US baseline) — that's moderate territory. With median rent at $1,843/mo and median household income at $143,492, housing takes about 15% of gross income — comfortably under the 30% rule of thumb, which is unusual. Homes typically value around $516,900.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Expect cold-winter weather — summers near 82°F, winters around 22°F. Rain (and snow, in some seasons) totals about 38 inches annually. Very walkable in most central neighborhoods — daily errands rarely require a car. Air quality is moderate (AQI 51).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
On the families profile, Elmhurst sits squarely in the middle. It earns 57/100 (grade C) on the families profile. Strongest on education (93/100); weakest on environmental quality (17/100).
Elmhurst is a tougher sell for retirees. It earns 45/100 (grade D) on the retirees profile. Strongest on education (93/100); weakest on environmental quality (17/100).
Elmhurst is a tougher sell for remote workers. It earns 42/100 (grade D) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on education (93/100); weakest on environmental quality (17/100).
On the young professionals profile, Elmhurst sits squarely in the middle. It earns 64/100 (grade C+) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on education (93/100); weakest on environmental quality (17/100).
Elmhurst, Illinois pulls a 50/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade C-), currently ranked #493 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Elmhurst's cost-of-living index is 106 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the moderate band — 6% above the national average. Median rent runs about $1,843/mo.
Cold-winter — summer averages around 82°F, winter averages around 22°F, with about 38 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 83/100. Very walkable in most central neighborhoods — daily errands rarely require a car.
Elmhurst has about 45,648 residents, 64% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 41.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Elmhurst head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how Elmhurst stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
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 Elmhurst with other Illinois cities scored on UrbRank.
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