What it's like to live in Plano
Plano is a small city in Illinois with home prices that remain within reach, crime rates well below the national average, a growing population, 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. Plano deals with rent well above the national average, cold, harsh winters, fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Affordable home prices
- Low crime rates
- Growing population
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- Cold, harsh winters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Plano compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Plano
Based on Plano's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,372
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $67,440 a year
- 43% of Plano renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$46,140
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $23,070
- Homes cost 2.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 19% above US
$1,686/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,686 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $230,700. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $230,700 · 43% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.3% county unemployment
Unemployment in Kendall County is 4.3%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Kendall County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 86% below US
47 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 474/100k · Plano Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
28 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 27.5 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 7% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 83°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 18°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 36% below US
23% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 23%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
7 public schools inside the boundary
There are 7 public schools inside the boundary. 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 (48 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Plano's strongest points are home prices that remain within reach and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and cold, harsh winters. A year of median rent ($1,686/mo) equals 23% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive and anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Plano
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