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Compare towns

Wheaton vs Elmhurst

9 miles apart. The biggest differences: household income (+25% in Elmhurst) and home values (+20% in Elmhurst).

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Wheaton, ILAn outdoors townIllinois · 53,557 people
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Elmhurst, ILHometown of 78 notable peopleIllinois · 45,671 people
Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

The biggest differences

Where they differ most

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $710 more a month in Elmhurst

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.

Wheaton$3,590/mo
Typical home $515K (Zillow) · tax rate 2.07% · or rent about $1,799/mo · Housing →
Elmhurst$4,300/mo
Typical home $642K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.74% · or rent about $1,975/mo · Housing →

The difference: $710 a month, about $8,500 a year, between Elmhurst and Wheaton.

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

Wheaton places higher on 11 of 23 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.

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
WheatonElmhurst
Snow a year42″42″
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)43rd62nd
Outdoors & history
WheatonElmhurst
Trails8 mi7 mi
Conserved land7.4%6%
Settled18311882
National Register places66
Archive photos—24
Famous people born here—78
Community
WheatonElmhurst
Library hours a week68 hrs70 hrs
Colleges in town11
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

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

9 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

WheatonElmhurstWheatonElmhurst
Wheaton ↔ Elmhurst8.9 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.

WheatonElmhurst
People
Population 53,557Highest 45,671Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +2%Lowest +3.8%Highest
Median age 36.8±0.8Lowest 6% below IL 42±1.3Highest 8% above IL
Kids under 18 22%±1.4Lowest IL: 21.8% 24.2%±1.4Highest IL: 21.8%
Elmhurst and Wheaton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 17.5%±1.1Lowest IL: 17% 19%±1.5Highest IL: 17%
Elmhurst and Wheaton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 64.5%Highest IL: 37.8% 64.2%Lowest IL: 37.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 10.7%±0.9Highest IL: 6.3% 7.3%±1Lowest IL: 6.3%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $120,008±$4kLowest 44% above IL $149,644±$10kHighest 79% above IL
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $455,700±$10kLowest 73% above IL $545,400±$28kHighest 107% above IL
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,799±$83Lowest 41% above IL $1,975±$142Highest 55% above IL
Elmhurst and Wheaton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $9,443Lowest 78% above IL $9,466Highest 79% above IL
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 44%±5.3Lowest IL: 47.9% 47.7%±6.6Highest IL: 47.9%
Elmhurst and Wheaton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 5.6%Highest IL: 11.8% 3.3%Lowest IL: 11.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 71.7%Lowest IL: 67.1% 79.9%Highest IL: 67.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1976Highest 5 yrs newer than IL 1966Lowest 5 yrs older than IL
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 26 minLowest 8% below IL 29 minHighest 5% above IL
Work from home 25.7%±1.8Lowest IL: 15.9% 26.5%±2.1Highest IL: 15.9%
Elmhurst and Wheaton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 11%Lowest 11.5%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 10.8 mi 10.8 mi
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.83Lowest 1.51Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Chicago (18%)Chicago (21%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ElmhurstFew work in Wheaton
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 7.4%Highest 6%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 8.1 miHighest 7.0 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.7 mi 0.7 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 46Highest 24Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 105Highest 95.8Lowest
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.

Wheaton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Wheaton’s Town Square.

Elmhurst neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Elmhurst’s Town Square.

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Bordering Wheaton

Towns like Wheaton

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.

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