Is Glendale Heights, IL a Good Place to Live?
Glendale Heights is a small city of 33,088 in Illinois, with a median household income of $83,588 and a 4.5% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 103 (US average = 100), which is 3% above the national average.
Strengths: Glendale Heights stands out for below-average home prices, lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (A-), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Glendale Heights is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Glendale Heights city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 102.6Glendale Heights's overall cost of living index is 102.6, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Glendale Heights costs roughly 3% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Glendale Heights, IL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $234,700 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,488 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 64.7% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $83,588 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeGlendale Heights's violent crime rate is 99.4 per 100,000 residents — 74% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Glendale Heights is served primarily by Marquardt SD 15. The student-to-teacher ratio is 11.0:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Glendale Heights, IL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Marquardt SD 15 | — |
| Elementary Schools | 4 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | N/A | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 11.0:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 28.4% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 82.6% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Glendale Heights sees average highs of 32.8°F in January and 85.5°F in July, with 40.1 inches of annual precipitation and 24.3 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Glendale Heights, IL |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 32.8°F |
| Average High — July | 85.5°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 40.1" |
| Annual Snowfall | 24.3" |
Demographics
| Metric | Glendale Heights, IL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 33,088 | — |
| Median Age | 35.0 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.5% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 25.8 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 41.1% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 10.9% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 20.7% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 22.3% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 21.9% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 12.8% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Glendale Heights
Glendale Heights, IL is covered by 1 ZIP code: