A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Carol Stream$2,780/mo

Typical home $385K (Zillow) · tax rate 2.38% · or rent about $1,529/mo · Housing →

Wheeling$1,900/mo

Typical home $266K (Census) · tax rate 2.26% · or rent about $1,663/mo · Housing →

The difference: $890 a month, about $10,600 a year, between Carol Stream and Wheeling.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Carol Stream places higher on 13 of 22 IL lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Illinois ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety

A−Carol StreamSafer than 77% of U.S. towns B+WheelingSafer than 69% of U.S. towns

Health

ACarol StreamHealthier than 90% of U.S. towns A−WheelingHealthier than 85% of U.S. towns

13Carol Stream

7Wheeling

Lists won, of 22 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Fewest uninsuredHealth · 861 towns #342#758 Most conserved landOutdoors · 838 towns #260#459 Most new homesHousing · 431 towns #310#208 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 297 towns #70#136 Most activeHealth · 861 towns #191#379 Fastest growingGrowth · 859 towns #353#184 Shortest commuteGetting around · 862 towns #567#414 Lowest property taxCost of living · 860 towns #717#573

Left end = #1 in Illinois. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Carol Stream’s rankings →

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

Carol StreamWheeling

Snow a year46″34″

January low—16°F

July high—84°F

Growing season (days)—176d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)29th 61st

Outdoors & history

Carol StreamWheeling

Trails6 mi 4 mi

Conserved land6.3%3.1%

Settled1959 1894

Archive photos13 8

Famous people born here5 5

Community

Carol StreamWheeling

Library hours a week69 hrs 71 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined1 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

18 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Carol StreamWheeling

Carol Stream ↔ Wheeling18 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs Illinois average

Carol StreamWheeling

People

Population 39,460Highest 38,433Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +0.4%Lowest +4%Highest

Median age 40.4±1.4Highest 4% above IL 39.9±2.3Lowest about the IL average

Carol Stream and Wheeling are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 20.6%±1.6 IL: 21.8% 20.6%±2.6 IL: 21.8%

Age 65+ 16.9%±1.6Lowest IL: 17% 17.6%±1.8Highest IL: 17%

Wheeling and Carol Stream are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 42.8%Highest IL: 37.8% 40.8%Lowest IL: 37.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.5%±1.4Highest IL: 6.3% 5%±1Lowest IL: 6.3%

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $102,309±$6kHighest 23% above IL $85,205±$4kLowest about the IL average

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $335,000±$8kHighest 27% above IL $266,200±$18kLowest about the IL average

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,529±$78Lowest 20% above IL $1,663±$86Highest 31% above IL

Wheeling and Carol Stream are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $7,987Highest 51% above IL $6,029Lowest 14% above IL

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 41.2%±6.7Lowest IL: 47.9% 46.3%±6.3Highest IL: 47.9%

Wheeling and Carol Stream are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 6.4%Lowest IL: 11.8% 10%Highest IL: 11.8%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 67.3%Highest IL: 67.1% 62.7%Lowest IL: 67.1%

Typical home builtmedian year 1984Highest 13 yrs newer than IL 1980Lowest 9 yrs newer than IL

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 28 minHighest about the IL average 26 minLowest 8% below IL

Work from home 14.8%±1.8Highest IL: 15.9% 14.3%±3Lowest IL: 15.9%

Carol Stream and Wheeling are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 7.8%Lowest 8.6%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 10.8 miHighest 10.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.03Lowest 1.20Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Chicago (14%)Chicago (16%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in WheelingFew work in Carol Stream

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 6.3%Highest 3.1%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 6.1 miHighest 3.8 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.6 miHighest 0.4 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 33Highest 8Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 86.6Lowest 100Highest

Illinois average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Carol Stream neighborsTown Square →

T Weaver · 1w

Improving Our Village

1 neighbor in Carol Stream can answer.

Wheeling neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Wheeling’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Carol Stream and Wheeling

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Carol Stream

+ Compare

Glendale Heights32,808 people · $262K homes

+ Compare

Bloomingdale Township111,175 people · $327K homes

+ Compare

Winfield10,095 people · $386K homes

+ Compare

Wayne Township63,881 people · $371K homes

Towns like Carol Stream

+ Compare

Woodridge33,941 people · $364K homes

+ Compare

Mundelein31,915 people · $310K homes

+ Compare

Mount Prospect55,472 people · $397K homes

+ Compare

Lombard43,619 people · $336K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Carol Stream vs Wheeling

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $890 more a month in Carol Stream

Carol Stream places higher on 13 of 22 IL lists

What daily life feels like in each

18 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Improving Our Village

Set another town beside Carol Stream and Wheeling

Bordering Carol Stream

Towns like Carol Stream

Post to Carol Stream

Check your email