What it's like to live in Rolling Meadows
Rolling Meadows is a small city in Illinois with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, a highly educated workforce, 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. Rolling Meadows deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, cold winters, and snowy winters.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- Cold winters
- Snowy winters — 39" per year
How Rolling Meadows compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Rolling Meadows
Based on Rolling Meadows's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,214
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $64,280 a year
- 43% of Rolling Meadows renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$65,240
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $32,620
- Homes cost 3.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 14% above US
$1,607/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,607 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 $326,200. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $326,200 · 43% 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▼ 78% below US
72 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 1283/100k · Rolling Meadows Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
26 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 25.5 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 15% 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▲ 21% above US
44% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 44% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
7 public schools inside the boundary
There are 7 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to 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 (34 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Rolling Meadows's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are air quality that falls short of national benchmarks and cold winters. A year of median rent ($1,607/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime and college-educated professionals.
See all the data for Rolling Meadows →·All Illinois cities →
Other places near Rolling Meadows
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Rent $1,760/mo · Income $116,723
Compare with Rolling Meadows →Moving to Palatine →
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Compare with Rolling Meadows →Moving to Schaumburg →
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Compare with Rolling Meadows →Moving to Mount Prospect →
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