Arlington Heights, IL

Census place 1702154 · pop 76,005

D55/ 100
😐 Meh
C
in IL
📍 Illinois ranks #39 of 50 states →
🏆 Mental12.8% · top 6%
🚽 Disaster100/100 · bottom 8%
💡 Did you know?

Longtime home of Arlington Park, the storied Chicago-area thoroughbred racetrack that closed in 2021.

Source ↗
Taxes
2.11% property · US 0.99%8.96% sales · US 7.00%4.95% flat income · US 4.63%

Sales & income are statewide.

The breakdown — worst first

Natural disaster riskCounty-level100/1008

U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities

100/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Property-tax burden2.11%9

U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities

2.11% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.

Air quality (AQI)County-level54 AQI14

U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities

54 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Unhealthy air daysCounty-level11 days19

U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities

11 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Unemployment rateCounty-level4.5%21

U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities

4.5% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Commute time28 min27

U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities

28 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.

Housing cost$414,50028

U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities

$414,500 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Population growth (5yr)+0.7%34

U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities

+0.7% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Rent$1,907/mo40

U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities

$1,907/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).

Income inequality0.4445

U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities

Gini 0.44 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).

Property crime rate911/100k66

U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities

911 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.

Homeownership74.0%76

U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities

74.0% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Poverty rate6.0%80

U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities

6.0% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Broadband access95.2%80

U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities

95.2% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Violent crime rate54/100k84

U.S. median 152/100k · better than most cities

54 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.

Uninsured adults6.1%84

U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities

6.1% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Median household income$116,72385

U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities

$116,723 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Adult smoking8.5%90

U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities

8.5% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.

Physical inactivity16.9%91

U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities

16.9% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Bachelor's degree or higher60.4%91

U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities

60.4% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Adult obesity25.2%91

U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities

25.2% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Poor mental health12.8%94

U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities

12.8% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Frequently asked

Is Arlington Heights, IL a good place to live?
By the numbers, Arlington Heights scores 55/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is poor mental health and its weakest is natural disaster risk. Illinois overall ranks #39 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
How safe is Arlington Heights, IL?
Arlington Heights reports 54 violent crimes per 100k and 911 property crimes per 100k — better than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
Is Arlington Heights, IL expensive to live in?
Arlington Heights has a median home value of $414,500 and typical rent around $1,907/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
What's the biggest downside of living in Arlington Heights, IL?
Its weakest measured area is natural disaster risk (100/100) — 8/100, worse than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
What is Arlington Heights, IL best at?
Its strongest measured area is poor mental health (12.8%) — 94/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Longtime home of Arlington Park, the storied Chicago-area thoroughbred racetrack that closed in 2021.

Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.