Wheeling receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Wheeling
Chicago
Opportunity
46 · Bottom 29%
vs35 · Bottom 11%
Growth
26 · Bottom 13%
vs26 · Bottom 13%
Climate
62 · Bottom 20%
vs63 · Bottom 25%
Physical resilience
69 · Top 36%
vs69 · Top 37%
Housing affordability
86 · Top 40%
vs76 · Bottom 42%
Schools
37 · Bottom 32%
vs47 · Bottom 45%
Access
96 · Top 30%
vs94 · Top 43%
Economic stability
68 · Top 33%
vs52 · Bottom 34%
Measured values
| Metric | Wheeling | Chicago | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 38,433 | 2,711,226 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $85,205 | $77,902 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $41,499 | $50,086 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,432/sq mi | 11,904/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $266,200 | $334,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,663 | $1,440 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 62.7% | 46.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 5.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.1% | -3.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 40.8% | 44.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 10.0% | 16.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 20 | 2,531 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.5 | 0.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -35.5% | -52.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 18°F | 19°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 32.3" | 34.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 11 mi | 15 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.0 min | 35.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.9 | 35.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 657 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.13 | 13.78 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 17.2% | 20.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 15.1% | 23.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 67.8% | 73.4% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Wheeling
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Chicago
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Full profiles: Wheeling, IL · Chicago, IL · How this is calculated: methodology