Des Plaines, IL
Census place 1719642 · pop 59,156
Site of the first McDonald's franchise opened by Ray Kroc in 1955, now preserved as a museum.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
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.
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
1.89% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
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.
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.
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.
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
28 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$2,068/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
+0.8% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$335,600 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
10.0% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities
1162 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 152/100k · better than most cities
128 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
38.9% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
94.0% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
21.4% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 0.43 · better than most cities
Gini 0.41 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$97,875 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
10.4% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
6.0% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities
78.3% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
26.8% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
13.8% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
Frequently asked
- Is Des Plaines, IL a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Des Plaines scores 49/100 — a D− (Rough) 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 Des Plaines, IL?
- Des Plaines reports 128 violent crimes per 100k and 1162 property crimes per 100k — better than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Des Plaines, IL expensive to live in?
- Des Plaines has a median home value of $335,600 and typical rent around $2,068/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Des Plaines, 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 Des Plaines, IL best at?
- Its strongest measured area is poor mental health (13.8%) — 89/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Site of the first McDonald's franchise opened by Ray Kroc in 1955, now preserved as a museum.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.