Cost of Living in Arlington Heights
Arlington Heights carries a genuinely above-average cost of living within Illinois, driven primarily by home values and property taxes rather than the state's flat income tax or statewide sales tax.
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Learn moreA genuinely high housing cost baseline
Zillow's typical home value for Arlington Heights runs $401,290 (up 2.4% year-over-year) -- well above both the Illinois statewide median ($294,136 per illinois.js) and the national figure. Redfin's reported closed median sale price ran as high as $420,000 (November 2025), and Movoto's July 2026 listing-price median reached $495,000 -- a real, disclosed spread depending on measurement type and month.
A genuinely high property tax burden
Arlington Heights' Cook County-side median effective property tax rate (2.52%, with a separate source citing 2.59%) runs meaningfully above Cook County's own 2.14% median and the Illinois statewide figure -- a real, substantial ongoing cost distinct from the one-time purchase price.
Illinois's statewide tax structure applies here unchanged
Arlington Heights residents pay Illinois's simple flat 4.95% income tax on wages, but -- per illinois.js -- Illinois taxes NONE of a retiree's Social Security, pension, or 401(k)/IRA income, a real, substantial positive for retirees specifically living in Arlington Heights.
Median household income runs genuinely high
Arlington Heights' median household income ($116,723) runs well above both the Illinois and national medians, helping offset the village's genuinely high housing and property-tax costs for many households, even as the poverty rate (6.05%) remains modest.
Key takeaways
- Zillow's typical home value ($401,290) runs well above the Illinois statewide median ($294,136).
- The effective property tax rate (2.52%-2.59%) runs meaningfully above Cook County's own 2.14% median.
- Illinois's flat 4.95% income tax applies to wages, but retirement income (Social Security, pensions, 401(k)/IRA) is fully exempt statewide.
- Median household income ($116,723) runs genuinely high, helping offset the village's above-average costs for many households.
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