What it's like to live in Wheeling
Wheeling is a small city in Illinois with home prices that remain within reach, crime rates well below 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. Wheeling deals with rent well above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and cold winters.
The good
- Affordable home prices
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- Air quality concerns
- Cold winters
How Wheeling compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Wheeling
Based on Wheeling's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,326
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $66,520 a year
- 45% of Wheeling renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$53,240
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $26,620
- Homes cost 3.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 18% above US
$1,663/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,663 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $266,200. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $266,200 · 45% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.0% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.0%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 71% below US
97 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 787/100k · Wheeling Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
26 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 25.7 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; 14% 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▲ 13% above US
41% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 41% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
8 public schools inside the boundary
There are 8 public schools inside the boundary and 3 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 (34 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Wheeling'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 air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($1,663/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 and college-educated professionals.
Other places near Wheeling
All Illinois guides →Moving to Prospect Heights →
2 mi away · pop. 15,618
Rent $1,475/mo · Income $85,008
Compare with Wheeling →Moving to Buffalo Grove →
3 mi away · pop. 42,891
Rent $2,037/mo · Income $129,395
Compare with Wheeling →Moving to Arlington Heights →
4 mi away · pop. 76,005
Rent $1,760/mo · Income $116,723
Compare with Wheeling →Not sure Wheeling is the one?
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