What it's like to live in Markham
Markham is a small city in Illinois with home prices that remain within reach and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Markham deals with household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, long average commutes, and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks.
The good
- Affordable home prices
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Long commutes
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
- Shrinking population
How Markham compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Markham
Based on Markham's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,242
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $64,840 a year
- 76% of Markham renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$27,060
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $13,530
- Homes cost 2.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 15% above US
$1,621/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,621 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $135,300. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $135,300 · 76% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.8% county unemployment
Unemployment in Cook County is 4.8%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Cook County (county-wide)
Safety▲ 51% above US
602 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 3540/100k · Markham Police Department · 2020 data
Getting around▲ 37% above US
36 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 35.7 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 5% take public transit; 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 18°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 51% below US
18% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
5 public schools inside the boundary
There are 5 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Pullman National Historical Park (8 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Markham's strongest point is home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and crime rates above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,621/mo) equals 34% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for people who dread long commutes.
Other places near Markham
All Illinois guides →Not sure Markham is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.