What it's like to live in Buffalo Grove

Buffalo Grove is a small city in Illinois with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, a highly educated workforce, 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. Buffalo Grove deals with rent well above the national average, cold winters, and snowy winters.

The good

  • Higher-than-average incomes
  • Low crime rates
  • Highly educated workforce
  • Low student-teacher ratio

The not so good

  • Rent well above the national average
  • Cold winters
  • Snowy winters — 43" per year

How Buffalo Grove compares

Median household income

Buffalo Grove$129,395
Illinois avg$83,390
US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Buffalo Grove$2,037
Illinois avg$1,274
US$1,413

Median home value

Buffalo Grove$412,300
Illinois avg$263,300
US$332,700

What it takes to move to Buffalo Grove

Based on Buffalo Grove's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$4,074

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

  • Income to keep rent under 30%: $81,480 a year
  • 29% of Buffalo Grove renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$82,460

a 20% down payment on the median home

  • With 10% down: $41,230
  • Homes cost 3.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of living▲ 44% above US

$2,037/mo median rent

Rent is expensive here, at $2,037 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices run above average, with a median around $412,300. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.

Median home value $412,300 · 29% of renters cost-burdened

Job market▼ 12% below US

3.8% unemployment

Unemployment here is 3.8%, close to the national average of 4.3%.

City-level (BLS)

Safety▼ 92% below US

28 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 430/100k · Buffalo Grove Police Department · 2025 data

Getting aroundNear US average

26 min average commute

Commutes run about average, at 26.3 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 6 in 10 workers drive to work; 32% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone
58%
Work from home
32%
Carpool
4.9%
Public transit
2.8%
Other
1.1%
Walk
1.0%

Climate

Summers are warm, with highs around 82°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 21°F and snow a regular occurrence.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)
10°30°50°70°90°4"Jan: 1.33" precipitationFeb: 1.28" precipitationMar: 1.84" precipitationApr: 3.31" precipitationMay: 3.76" precipitationJun: 3.97" precipitationJul: 3.15" precipitationAug: 3.70" precipitationSep: 3.04" precipitationOct: 3.11" precipitationNov: 2.15" precipitationDec: 1.64" precipitation18°JJan: high 32°F, low 18°FFFeb: high 36°F, low 21°FMMar: high 47°F, low 30°FAApr: high 58°F, low 39°FMMay: high 70°F, low 50°FJJun: high 80°F, low 60°F84°JJul: high 84°F, low 66°FAAug: high 82°F, low 65°FSSep: high 75°F, low 56°FOOct: high 63°F, low 45°FNNov: high 49°F, low 33°FDDec: high 37°F, low 24°F

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforce▲ 91% above US

69% bachelor's degree or higher

This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.

Schools

12 public schools inside the boundary

There are 12 public schools inside the boundary and 5 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, 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 (37 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Buffalo Grove's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and cold winters. A year of median rent ($2,037/mo) equals 19% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (32% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.

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