Wheeling and Elgin receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Wheeling
Elgin
Opportunity
46 · Bottom 29%
vs42 · Bottom 21%
Growth
26 · Bottom 13%
vs31 · Bottom 18%
Climate
62 · Bottom 20%
vs60 · Bottom 15%
Physical resilience
69 · Top 36%
vs76 · Top 30%
Housing affordability
86 · Top 40%
vs100 · Top 9%
Schools
37 · Bottom 32%
vs25 · Bottom 17%
Access
96 · Top 30%
vs89 · Bottom 40%
Economic stability
68 · Top 33%
vs70 · Top 30%
Measured values
| Metric | Wheeling | Elgin | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 38,433 | 114,934 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $85,205 | $90,282 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $41,499 | $37,057 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,432/sq mi | 3,011/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $266,200 | $273,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,663 | $1,361 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 62.7% | 71.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.1% | -2.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 40.8% | 27.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 10.0% | 9.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 20 | 184 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.5 | 1.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -35.5% | -48.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 18°F | 16°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 32.3" | 33.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 11 mi | 22 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.0 min | 30.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.9 | 36.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 30 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.13 | 15.79 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 17.2% | 13.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 15.1% | 13.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 67.8% | 61.1% | 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.
Elgin
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Full profiles: Wheeling, IL · Elgin, IL · How this is calculated: methodology