What it's like to live in Matteson
Matteson is a small city in Illinois with home prices that remain within reach, household incomes running above 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. Matteson deals with crime rates above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and cold winters.
The good
- Affordable home prices
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Crime above national average
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- Cold winters
How Matteson compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Matteson
Based on Matteson's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,160
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $63,200 a year
- 42% of Matteson renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$50,120
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $25,060
- Homes cost 2.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 12% above US
$1,580/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,580 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 $250,600. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $250,600 · 42% 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▲ 138% above US
949 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is a real factor here, with violent rates significantly above the national average. That doesn't make the whole city a write-off, but it does mean specific neighborhoods deserve real research before signing a lease.
Property crime 2391/100k · Matteson Police Department · 2020 data
Getting around▲ 30% above US
34 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 33.8 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. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 24% 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▲ 10% above US
40% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 40% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
6 public schools inside the boundary
There are 6 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 (15 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Matteson's strongest points are home prices that remain within reach and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are crime rates above the national average and commute times longer than most cities. A year of median rent ($1,580/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (24% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for people who dread long commutes.
Other places near Matteson
All Illinois guides →Moving to Richton Park →
2 mi away · pop. 12,521
Rent $1,294/mo · Income $64,554
Compare with Matteson →Moving to Park Forest →
4 mi away · pop. 21,156
Rent $1,365/mo · Income $61,072
Compare with Matteson →Moving to Country Club Hills →
4 mi away · pop. 16,324
Rent $1,709/mo · Income $75,197
Compare with Matteson →Not sure Matteson is the one?
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