Should I Move To
Roughly 67,223 people live in Palatine, Illinois. Living here costs moderate relative to the rest of the country, 5% above the national average. Median rent runs about $1,427/mo; the typical household pulls in $93,383. On the UrbRank Score it pulls a 51/100 — a C-, putting it at #464 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.
By the composite index, Palatine sits at 105 — moderate when stacked against the rest of the country. Running the rent-to-income math ($1,427/mo against $93,383 median household income), housing eats roughly 18% of a typical paycheck — comfortably under the 30% rule of thumb, which is unusual. Buying-side, the median home value is $337,200.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →The weather here is cold-winter: roughly 82°F in summer, 22°F in winter. Annual precipitation lands near 38 inches. Very walkable in most central neighborhoods — daily errands rarely require a car. Air quality reads good (AQI 49).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
For families, Palatine is workable — not standout, not weak. It earns 57/100 (grade C) on the families profile. Strongest on education (78/100); weakest on environmental quality (22/100).
For retirees, Palatine isn't the strongest match. It earns 48/100 (grade D) on the retirees profile. Strongest on education (78/100); weakest on environmental quality (22/100).
For remote workers, Palatine isn't the strongest match. It earns 47/100 (grade D) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on education (78/100); weakest on environmental quality (22/100).
For young professionals, Palatine is workable — not standout, not weak. It earns 62/100 (grade C+) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on education (78/100); weakest on environmental quality (22/100).
Palatine, Illinois pulls a 51/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade C-), currently ranked #464 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Palatine's cost-of-living index is 105 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the moderate band — 5% above the national average. Median rent runs about $1,427/mo.
Cold-winter — summer averages around 82°F, winter averages around 22°F, with about 38 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 77/100. Very walkable in most central neighborhoods — daily errands rarely require a car.
Palatine has about 67,223 residents, 49% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 39.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Palatine 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 Palatine 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 Palatine with other Illinois cities scored on UrbRank.
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