CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

41.68° N · 87.70° W · GEOID 1748554

Merrionette Park

Cook County, Illinois · part of the Chicago, IL metro

Limited data population under 5,000

IllinoisMerrionette Park, ILMerrionette ParkMerrionette Park

The short answer

Merrionette Park is home to 2,354 people. Median household income is $56,515 a year and median rent is $1,296 a month, 27.5% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is moderate. The median home is valued at $173,400, about 3.1x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,296
5% below the median place
Median household income
$56,515
30% below the median place
Median home value
$173,400
46% below the median place
Unemployment
12.1%
148% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Merrionette Park

  • Unemployment averaged 12.1% over the survey period, higher than in 94% of the 1,242 places under 10,000 people we track.
  • After the median rent, and with prices for everything else adjusted to the US average, the median household has about $40,200 a year left, less than in 90% of places its size.
  • The median rent takes 27.5% of the median household's income, a bigger share than in 90% of places its size.
  • Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, rent rose 5.8% a year while household income rose 1.7%, so rent outran pay by more than in 84% of places its size.
  • Only 34% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 88% of places its size.
01

Moving to Merrionette Park

Cook County loses about 10.5 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in120,387
Moved out162,651
Net−42,264

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

DuPage County, IL12,39919,059−6,660
Will County, IL7,54812,890−5,342
Lake County, IL7,32311,713−4,390
Lake County, IN4,7308,061−3,331
Kane County, IL4,2357,041−2,806
McHenry County, IL1,8464,112−2,266
Los Angeles County, CA2,0592,538−479
Maricopa County, AZ1,6782,643−965

Within Illinois, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within IllinoisOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$85K
Leavers$118K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Cook County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
3.5% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.8% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Cook County report $85,500 a year in income on average; those leaving, $117,700, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$51,800 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,296 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,482 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $173,400.
Getting to work
28 minutes each way on average; 18.9% work from home; 11.8% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Middletown, PA matches it on character. Compare the two
Net movers per 1,000 people8
-10.5
below the median place (median -0.6)
Income of households moving out8
$117,738
68% above the median place
Moved here in the past year1
3.5%
39% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureMerrionette ParkAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure3.5%39% below
Moved from another state1County figure1.8%10% below
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure-10.5below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in8County figure$85,47021% above
Income of households moving out8County figure$117,73868% above
02

What it costs to live here

Renters paying 30%+ is 34.3%, 32% below the median place.

Merrionette Park27.5%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$51,840
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
27.5%
35% above the median place
Home price to income
3.1x
19% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
27%
just under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$40,700
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Merrionette Park, $1,296 a month, and local prices for everything else (101.9 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Merrionette Park, but easier on the budget

Close matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income.

PlaceRent to incomeMore left a year
Lake Alfred, FL24.1% vs 27.5%$12,200Compare
Prospect Park, PA22.5% vs 27.5%$8,500Compare
Buena Vista, VA23.1% vs 27.5%n/aCompare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Merrionette Park.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Merrionette Park? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
34.3%
32% below the median place
Property tax rate1
2.1%
136% above the median place
Median home value1
$173,400
46% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureMerrionette ParkAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,2965% below
Rent to income127.5%35% above
Property tax rate12.1%136% above
Home price to income13.1x19% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure103.63% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$2,01125% above
HUD area median income4County figure$121,50013% above
Property tax paid (median)1$3,72914% above
Median home value1$173,40046% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure5.5%73% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure41.6%19% below
Homeownership173.0%10% above
Renters paying 30%+134.3%32% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,48221% below
Vacant homes1County figure7.7%10% above
Median year built119651% below
03

Work and pay

Unemployment is 12.1%, 148% above the median place.

Unemployment1
12.1%
148% above the median place
Median household income1
$56,515
30% below the median place
Poverty rate1
8.0%
26% below the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureMerrionette ParkAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$56,51530% below
Income per person1$39,0523% below
Unemployment112.1%148% above
Average annual pay6County figure$90,47737% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure4.1%11% above
Jobs6County figure2,594,810above (median 150,665)
Poverty rate18.0%26% below
Mean commute128 min11% above
Works from home1County figure18.9%52% above
Commutes by transit1County figure11.8%above (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Population change since 2020 is -2.8%, below the median place (median 1.1%).

Population change since 20207
-2.8%
below the median place (median 1.1%)
Homes with broadband1
86.5%
6% below the median place
No health insurance1
12.1%
89% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Median age34.3 −12%
Household size2.2 −11%
High school or higher86.0% −7%
Bachelor's or higher25.0% −22%
Born abroad6.8% −23%
All 9 people measures
MeasureMerrionette ParkAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population12,3546646th largest
Population change since 20207-2.8%below (median 1.1%)
Median age134.312% below
Bachelor's or higher125.0%22% below
High school or higher186.0%7% below
Household size12.211% below
Born abroad16.8%23% below
No health insurance112.1%89% above
Homes with broadband186.5%6% below
05

Life in Merrionette Park

623 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 57 of them National Historic Landmarks.

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents0.0 −100%
Playgrounds per 10k25.5 2.7×
Grocery stores per 10k8.5 4.0×
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k17.0 +52%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi10.7 50.8×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars23.6 +13%
Shops26.2 −14%
Arts, recreation and fitness4.4 +7%
Doctors' offices and clinics23.6 +17%
Child care centers3.2 +39%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Public schools12
1
89% below the median place
Public school students12
197
96% below the median place
Students per teacher12
13.1
15% below the median place
All 16 schools and local life measures
MeasureMerrionette ParkAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12189% below
Public school students1219796% below
Students per teacher1213.115% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure23.613% above
Shops per 10k9County figure26.214% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure4.47% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure23.617% above
Child care centers per 10k9County figure3.239% above
Parks per 10k100.0below (median 10.2)
Playgrounds per 10k1025.5171% above
Grocery stores per 10k108.5301% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k1017.052% above
Libraries per 10k100.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails100.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi1010.7above (median 0.2)
National Register listings11County figure623above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Tornado risk is 100.0, 23% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Merrionette Park. Larger places are fetched first.

Tornado risk14
100.0
23% above the median place
Heat wave risk14
99.8
11% above the median place
Natural hazard risk14
100.0
8% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureMerrionette ParkAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure84°F4% below
January average low13County figure17°F33% below
Average temperature13County figure50°F9% below
Annual precipitation13County figure38.3 in13% below
Natural hazard risk14County figure100.08% above
Hurricane risk14County figure48.931% below
Tornado risk14County figure100.023% above
Wildfire risk14County figure55.89% below
Heat wave risk14County figure99.811% above
Median air quality index15County figure5323% above
Good air days15County figure40.8%40% below
08

Merrionette Park in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 28% of the median income in 2030, up from 28% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,296/mo (2024)$1,670/mo$1,370 to $2,030/mo+4.3%
Median household income$56,515 (2024)$71,000$60,000 to $84,000+3.9%
Median home value$173,400 (2024)$245,000$178,000 to $337,000+5.9%
Population1,915 (2025)1,9101,830 to 1,990−0.1%

The median home would be worth 3.4 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.1 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Merrionette Park

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Middletown, PA$1,234$55,765Compare
Lindenwold, NJ$1,323$55,954Compare
Dearborn Heights, MI$1,331$60,391Compare
Memphis, TN$1,181$51,736Compare
Memphis, TNDearborn Heights, MILindenwold, NJMiddletown, PAMerrionette Park, ILMerrionette ParkMiddletownLindenwoldMemphisMerrionette ParkMiddletownLindenwoldMemphis

Common questions

Is Merrionette Park a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Unemployment averaged 12.1% over the survey period, higher than in 94% of the 1,242 places under 10,000 people we track. After the median rent, and with prices for everything else adjusted to the US average, the median household has about $40,200 a year left, less than in 90% of places its size. On cost, space and class size it scores 55 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Merrionette Park expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 27.5% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $173,400.

What salary do you need to live in Merrionette Park?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $51,840 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Merrionette Park?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Middletown, PA, Lindenwold, NJ, Dearborn Heights, MI and Memphis, TN.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  8. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  9. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  10. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Merrionette Park with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Merrionette Park itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/merrionette-park-illinois

Citytistics. “Merrionette Park, Illinois.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/merrionette-park-illinois/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.