Living in Wheeling, IL

Explore Wheeling and see how it fits the life you want to build.

38,433 Population Cook & Lake Counties Counties Village Place Type Illinois State
Overall Match7.6 / 10

Baseline match from currently available location scores. Choose priorities to personalize it.

Wheeling at a Glance

Key facts and current data

Population38,433
Median Household Income$85,205
Median Home Value$266,200
Median Gross Rent$1,663
Median Age39.9
Average Household Size2.5
Unemployment4.8%
Work From Home14.3%
Homeownership62.7%
Housing Vacancy5.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year.

Wheeling 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 Wheeling Before You Move

Explore Short-Term Stays in Wheeling →Stay options powered by Stay22 · affiliate

NarrowTheList highly recommends you spend a week or two in Wheeling 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 Value3.8 / 5Home values compared with local household income.
Employment3.8 / 5Lower unemployment produces a stronger rating.
Housing Stability3.5 / 5Combines homeownership and housing vacancy.
Remote Work Friendly3.5 / 5Based on the share of residents working from home.
Income Strength4.3 / 5Household income compared on a national scale.

These are location-wide baseline ratings, not your personal match score. Your own priorities can change which factors matter most.

Housing & Cost of Living in Wheeling

Current housing indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau

Median Home Value$266,200
Median Gross Rent$1,663
Homeownership62.7%
Housing Vacancy5.4%
Housing Value7.6/10
Housing Stability7.0/10

Home values are comparatively balanced against local household income, although individual neighborhoods can still vary substantially. The housing mix leans toward owner-occupied homes while still supporting a meaningful rental market.

Jobs, Income & Remote Work

Employment and household-income context for Wheeling, IL

Median Household Income$85,205
Unemployment4.8%
Work From Home14.3%
Employment7.6/10
Remote Work Friendly7.0/10
Income Strength8.6/10

The reported unemployment rate is in a middle range. A meaningful share of employed residents work from home.

Population & Household Profile

Who lives in Wheeling and how households are structured

Population38,433
Median Age39.9
Average Household Size2.5

Wheeling is a smaller community, so its relationship with nearby towns, employment centers and services can be especially important.

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 Wheeling

Long-term NOAA climate normals and practical seasonal context

NOAA climate normals for Wheeling point to warm summers, cold winters, a wetter annual rainfall pattern and substantial annual snowfall.

Average Summer High84.0°F
Average Winter Low18.4°F
Annual Rainfall32.3 in.
Annual Snowfall33.6 in.

Seasonal Life in Wheeling

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.

County Intelligence

Wheeling & Its Counties

Data Pending Foreclosure Activity

Wheeling spans Cook and Lake counties.

Living in a community that crosses county lines can make location within Wheeling especially important. Property taxes, housing characteristics, public services and other county-level factors may vary depending on which part of the community you call home.

Current NarrowTheList data for Wheeling shows a population of about 38,433. 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 and Lake County
How NarrowTheList uses it

NarrowTheList connects Wheeling with all 2 of its counties rather than assigning the community to only one. As additional county data becomes available, those differences can be compared alongside city-level information to help identify which parts of the area may better fit your priorities.

Nearby Cities & Communities

Nearby incorporated cities, towns, villages and other municipalities shown by straight-line distance.

Prospect Heights, IL 1.8 miles away Buffalo Grove, IL 3.3 miles away Riverwoods, IL 3.3 miles away Arlington Heights, IL 3.8 miles away Deerfield, IL 4.3 miles away Northbrook, IL 4.4 miles away Mount Prospect, IL 4.6 miles away Lincolnshire, IL 4.6 miles away Bannockburn, IL 5.1 miles away Glenview, IL 5.7 miles away Palatine, IL 6.4 miles away Long Grove, IL 6.4 miles away