What it's like to live in Elgin
Elgin is a mid-size city in Illinois with home prices that remain within reach, household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and hospitals with strong quality ratings. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Elgin deals with unemployment above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and cold, harsh winters.
The good
- Affordable home prices
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Strong hospital ratings
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Above-average unemployment
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- Cold, harsh winters
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Elgin compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Elgin
Based on Elgin's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,722
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $54,440 a year
- 47% of Elgin renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$54,600
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $27,300
- Homes cost 3.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,361/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,361 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $273,000. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $273,000 · 47% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 33% above US
5.7% unemployment
Unemployment here is 5.7%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 34% below US
218 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 928/100k · Elgin Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
28 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 28.2 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 and harsh, with lows dropping to 17°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
3 hospitals
There are 3 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 4.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 25% below US
27% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 27%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
30 public schools inside the boundary
There are 30 public schools inside the boundary and 10 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Pullman National Historical Park (44 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Elgin's strongest points are home prices that remain within reach and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are unemployment above the national average and commute times longer than most cities. A year of median rent ($1,361/mo) equals 18% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up, anyone who doesn't drive, and anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Elgin
All Illinois guides →Not sure Elgin is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.