Housing Value★★★★★★★★★★3.6 / 5Home values compared with local household income.
Living in Des Plaines, IL
Explore Des Plaines and see how it fits the life you want to build.
Overall Match7.8 / 10
Baseline match from currently available location scores. Choose priorities to personalize it.
Des Plaines at a Glance
Key facts and current data
Population59,156
Median Household Income$97,875
Median Home Value$335,600
Median Gross Rent$1,606
Median Age42.3
Average Household Size2.6
Unemployment4.1%
Work From Home13.9%
Homeownership78.3%
Housing Vacancy5.5%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year.
Des Plaines is a mid-sized community where local neighborhoods, nearby job centers and regional access can matter as much as citywide averages.
Experience the Area
Experience Life in Des Plaines Before You Move
Explore Short-Term Stays in Des Plaines →Stay options powered by Stay22 · affiliate
NarrowTheList highly recommends you spend a week or two in Des Plaines and experience everyday life before deciding whether it is the right place to call home. Use that time to explore neighborhoods, drive your normal routes, shop where residents shop, and get a feel for the area at different times of day.
NarrowTheList Ratings
Data-driven starter ratings. More categories appear automatically as new datasets are added.
Housing & Cost of Living in Des Plaines
Current housing indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau
Median Home Value$335,600
Median Gross Rent$1,606
Homeownership78.3%
Housing Vacancy5.5%
Home values are comparatively balanced against local household income, although individual neighborhoods can still vary substantially. A large majority of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Jobs, Income & Remote Work
Employment and household-income context for Des Plaines, IL
Median Household Income$97,875
Unemployment4.1%
Work From Home13.9%
The reported unemployment rate is in a middle range. A meaningful share of employed residents work from home.
Population & Household Profile
Who lives in Des Plaines and how households are structured
Population59,156
Median Age42.3
Average Household Size2.6
Des Plaines is a mid-sized community where neighborhood and nearby-employment patterns can materially affect a relocation decision.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year. NarrowTheList presents these values as relocation context; conditions can vary within a community.
Climate & Weather in Des Plaines
Long-term NOAA climate normals and practical seasonal context
NOAA climate normals for Des Plaines point to warm summers, cold winters, a wetter annual rainfall pattern and substantial annual snowfall.
Average Summer High84.5°F
Average Winter Low18.8°F
Annual Rainfall37.9 in.
Annual Snowfall38.4 in.
Seasonal Life in Des Plaines
What the long-term climate pattern may mean for everyday living.
Spring
Spring is a useful time to evaluate how quickly outdoor conditions become comfortable and how seasonal rain affects everyday routines.
Summer
Summer is warm enough that shade and cooling still matter, but the typical high is below the extreme-heat range seen in many hotter U.S. markets.
Fall
Fall marks a substantial seasonal transition here. It is a useful time to judge how quickly temperatures change and whether that seasonal swing fits the lifestyle you want.
Winter
Freezing winter lows and meaningful snowfall make snow removal, winter driving, heating costs and cold-weather routines important parts of evaluating the area.
Source: NOAA/NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020. Seasonal descriptions are relocation context derived from the available long-term normals, not a forecast.
Des Plaines is located in Cook County, but city-level housing, income and neighborhood conditions can differ meaningfully from countywide averages. Cook County.
County Intelligence
Des Plaines & Cook County
Data Pending
Foreclosure Activity
Des Plaines is located in Cook County, Illinois.
NarrowTheList uses county-level information alongside local community data because many factors that matter when choosing a place to live are measured beyond city boundaries. Housing, property taxes, employment, healthcare access and other regional characteristics can add useful context to the picture of life in Des Plaines.
Current NarrowTheList data for Des Plaines shows a population of about 59,156. These local figures become more useful when read together with county-level tax, housing, foreclosure and demographic conditions rather than treated as isolated city statistics.
Foreclosure Activity: Data Pending. A county-specific foreclosure signal is not available yet.
For someone comparing homes, county boundaries can matter because taxes, public services, court and recording systems, assessment practices and housing-market conditions are often administered or reported at the county level. NarrowTheList keeps that county relationship attached to the community so future tax, foreclosure, housing and demographic data can be interpreted in the correct geographic context.
County relationship
Cook County
How NarrowTheList uses it
County information is used as a supporting geographic layer, not as a substitute for local data. As more county datasets are added, NarrowTheList can use them to improve comparisons, ratings and relocation insights for Des Plaines.
Nearby Cities & Communities
Nearby incorporated cities, towns, villages and other municipalities shown by straight-line distance.
Mount Prospect, IL
2.8 miles away
Park Ridge, IL
3.3 miles away
Rosemont, IL
3.5 miles away
Niles, IL
4.7 miles away
Prospect Heights, IL
5.0 miles away
Elk Grove Village, IL
5.1 miles away
Glenview, IL
5.2 miles away
Schiller Park, IL
5.5 miles away
Bensenville, IL
5.7 miles away
Morton Grove, IL
5.8 miles away
Arlington Heights, IL
6.0 miles away
Golf, IL
6.2 miles away