What it's like to live in Addison
Addison is a small city in Illinois with rent below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Addison deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, cold winters, snowy winters, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- Cold winters
- Snowy winters — 38" per year
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Addison compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Addison
Based on Addison's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,490
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $49,800 a year
- 34% of Addison renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$68,260
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $34,130
- Homes cost 3.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 12% below US
$1,245/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,245 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices run above average, with a median around $341,300. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $341,300 · 34% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.2% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.2%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 58% below US
137 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 688/100k · Addison Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
26 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 25.6 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 13% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 82°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 22°F and snow a regular occurrence.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 34% below US
24% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 24%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
13 public schools inside the boundary
There are 13 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Pullman National Historical Park (26 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Addison's strongest points are rent below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are air quality that falls short of national benchmarks and cold winters. A year of median rent ($1,245/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Addison
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