What it's like to live in Sycamore
Sycamore is a small city in Illinois with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, 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. Sycamore deals with cold, harsh winters, snowy winters, fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 39" per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Sycamore compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Sycamore
Based on Sycamore's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,280
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $45,600 a year
- 32% of Sycamore renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$53,140
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $26,570
- Homes cost 3.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 19% below US
$1,140/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,140 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $265,700. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $265,700 · 32% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.5% county unemployment
Unemployment in DeKalb County is 4.5%, 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.
DeKalb 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 825/100k · Sycamore Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
26 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 26.3 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; 13% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 81°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 16°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 28% above US
46% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 46% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
6 public schools inside the boundary
There are 6 public schools inside the boundary and 2 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 (59 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Sycamore's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are cold, harsh winters and snowy winters. A year of median rent ($1,140/mo) equals 16% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, anyone prioritizing low crime, and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive and anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
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