Cost of living in Evanston research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Evanston is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Illinois, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Evanston is 128, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Evanston is 1.3x higher than the national average.
Evanston ranks as the #307 cheapest in Illinois out of 338.
Evanston ranks as the #5,183 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Evanston is $410,600.
The median income in Evanston is $87,345.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Evanston has an overall cost of living index of 128, which is 1.3x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Illinois, Evanston has a cost of living index that's 1.4x higher than Illinois's index of 92.
The standard of living in Evanston ranks as #307 most affordable out of the 338 places we measured in Illinois. By definition, that implies Evanston ranks as the #31 most expensive place in the Prairie State.
For more reading on life in Evanston, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Evanston. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Evanston is 114.
The Groceries index in Evanston is 108.
The Health index in Evanston is 98.
The Housing index in Evanston is 175.
The Transportation index in Evanston is 113.
The Utilities index in Evanston is 93.
Living Expense | Evanston | Illinois | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 128 | 92 | 100 | |
Services | 114 | 95 | 100 | |
Groceries | 108 | 98 | 100 | |
Health | 98 | 96 | 100 | |
Housing | 175 | 81 | 100 | |
Transportation | 113 | 105 | 100 | |
Utilities | 93 | 90 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Illinois, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Evanston is $410,600.
The Median Rent in Evanston is $1,526.
The Median Income in Evanston is $87,345.
The Home Value To Income in Evanston is 4.7x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Evanston is 0.21x.
Statistic | Evanston | Illinois | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $410,600 | $212,600 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $1,526 | $1,097 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $87,345 | $72,563 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 4.7x | 2.9x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.21x | 0.18x | 0.2x |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Evanston. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Arlington Heights, IL has a cost of living index of 125, 1.0x Evanston.
Skokie, IL has a cost of living index of 120, 0.9x Evanston.
Glenview, IL has a cost of living index of 147, 1.1x Evanston.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Evanston |
---|---|---|---|
Arlington Heights, IL | 77,283 | 125 | 1.0x |
Skokie, IL | 67,444 | 120 | 0.9x |
Glenview, IL | 48,150 | 147 | 1.1x |
Elmhurst, IL | 45,661 | 131 | 1.0x |
Buffalo Grove, IL | 43,062 | 121 | 0.9x |
Park Ridge, IL | 39,562 | 131 | 1.0x |
Northbrook, IL | 35,108 | 156 | 1.2x |
Niles, IL | 30,971 | 117 | 0.9x |
Highland Park, IL | 30,245 | 152 | 1.2x |
Wilmette, IL | 27,895 | 166 | 1.3x |