What it's like to live in Mount Prospect
Mount Prospect is a smaller city in Illinois with unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Mount Prospect deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, cold winters, and snowy winters.
The good
- Low unemployment
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- Cold winters
- Snowy winters — 38" per year
How Mount Prospect compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Mount Prospect
Based on Mount Prospect's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,004
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $60,080 a year
- 48% of Mount Prospect renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$79,480
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $39,740
- Homes cost 3.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,502/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,502 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices run above average, with a median around $397,400. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $397,400 · 48% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 16% below US
3.6% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.6%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 83% below US
56 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 794/100k · Mount Prospect Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
26 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 25.9 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; 19% work from home.
How workers get to work
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
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 35% above US
49% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 49% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
15 public schools inside the boundary
There are 15 public schools inside the boundary and 4 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, 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 (31 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Mount Prospect's strongest points are unemployment 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 ($1,502/mo) equals 18% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (19% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals.
Other places near Mount Prospect
All Illinois guides →Moving to Des Plaines →
3 mi away · pop. 59,156
Rent $1,606/mo · Income $97,875
Compare with Mount Prospect →Moving to Prospect Heights →
3 mi away · pop. 15,618
Rent $1,475/mo · Income $85,008
Compare with Mount Prospect →Moving to Arlington Heights →
3 mi away · pop. 76,005
Rent $1,760/mo · Income $116,723
Compare with Mount Prospect →Moving to Rolling Meadows →
5 mi away · pop. 24,027
Rent $1,607/mo · Income $98,514
Compare with Mount Prospect →Not sure Mount Prospect is the one?
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