CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

42.09° N · 88.16° W · GEOID 1770564

South Barrington

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

IllinoisSouth Barrington, ILSouth BarringtonSouth Barrington

The short answer

South Barrington is home to 5,021 people. Median household income is $221,575 a year and median rent is $2,200 a month, 11.9% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $908,300, about 4.1x annual median household income.

The story in South Barrington is how fast things are changing. Housing became more affordable between 2023 and 2024: rent went from 16.6% to 11.9% of income. Also notable: Household income growth is 9.8% a year, against 3.4% a year in its closest peers.

86OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Strong

South Barrington scores better than 86% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 88th of 335 in Illinois.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%70
Economy 20%59
Safety 20%82
Amenities 15%42
Education 10%97
Commute 10%27
Growth 5%77
Median gross rent
$2,200
61% above the median place
Median household income
$221,575
176% above the median place
Median home value
$908,300
184% above the median place
Unemployment
7.0%
43% 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 South Barrington

  • HousingOwning with a mortgage costs about $1,801 a month more than the median rent, a wider gap than in 97% of the 2,469 places under 10,000 people we track.
  • Value for moneyRent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 100 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings.
01

Moving to South Barrington

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, 0.0% 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
$88,000 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $2,200 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $4,001 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $908,300.
Getting to work
29 minutes each way on average; 19.3% work from home; 11.8% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Town and Country, MO matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
0.0%
below the median place (median 2.0%)
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
All 5 moving measures
MeasureSouth BarringtonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure3.5%39% below
Moved from another state10.0%below (median 2.0%)
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

After the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household keeps about $191,600 a year, more than in 97% of the 1,875 places under 10,000 people we track.

South Barrington11.9%
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
$88,000
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
11.9%
42% below the median place
Home price to income
4.1x
8% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
12%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$192,000
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in South Barrington, $2,200 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 South Barrington, but easier on the budget

Places that match South Barrington on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Town and Country, MO6410.1% vs 11.9%$20,900Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in South Barrington.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to South Barrington? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Homeownership1
98.2%
48% above the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$4,001
114% above the median place
Median home value1
$908,300
184% above the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureSouth BarringtonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$2,20061% above
Rent to income111.9%42% below
Home price to income14.1x8% above
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$10,001206% above
Median home value1$908,300184% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure5.5%73% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure41.6%19% below
Homeownership198.2%48% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure48.9%3% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$4,001114% above
Vacant homes1County figure7.7%10% above
Median year built119951% above
03

Work and pay

Median household income is $221,575, 176% above the median place.

Median household income1
$221,575
176% above the median place
Income per person1
$99,079
147% above the median place
Works from home1
19.3%
55% above the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureSouth BarringtonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$221,575176% above
Income per person1$99,079147% above
Unemployment1County figure7.0%43% above
Average annual pay6County figure$90,47737% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure4.1%11% above
Jobs6County figure2,594,810above (median 150,665)
Poverty rate1County figure13.5%25% above
Mean commute129 min16% above
Works from home119.3%55% above
Commutes by transit1County figure11.8%above (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

No health insurance is 0.0%, below the median place (median 6.4%).

No health insurance1
0.0%
below the median place (median 6.4%)
Bachelor's or higher1
73.6%
130% above the median place
Median age1
50.1
28% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Born abroad30.6% 3.5×
Household size3.0 +21%
Homes with broadband96.2% +4%
High school or higher94.9% +3%
All 9 people measures
MeasureSouth BarringtonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population15,0216625th largest
Population change since 20207-0.1%below (median 1.1%)
Median age150.128% above
Bachelor's or higher173.6%130% above
High school or higher194.9%3% above
Household size13.021% above
Born abroad130.6%246% above
No health insurance10.0%below (median 6.4%)
Homes with broadband196.2%4% above
05

Life in South Barrington

The nearest National Park Service site is Pullman National Historical Park, about 39 miles away.

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

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents21.9 2.2×
Playgrounds per 10k33.9 3.6×
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k17.9 +61%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails9 km 4.3×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

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.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Pullman National Historical Park 39 miles
  • Indiana Dunes National Park 62 miles
  • Ice Age Trail 122 miles

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 schools14
1
89% below the median place
Public school students14
403
92% below the median place
Students per teacher14
11.5
25% below the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureSouth BarringtonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools14189% below
Public school students1440392% below
Students per teacher1411.525% 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 10k1021.9115% above
Playgrounds per 10k1033.9260% above
Grocery stores per 10k100.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k1017.961% above
Libraries per 10k100.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails108.7335% above
Transit stops per sq mi100.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1139.127% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles11150% below
National Register listings12County figure623above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 59, 69% below the median place.

Violent crime per 100k
59
69% below the median place
Property crime per 100k
632
48% below the median place
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

Tornado risk16
100.0
23% above the median place
Heat wave risk16
99.8
11% above the median place
Natural hazard risk16
100.0
8% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureSouth BarringtonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high15County figure84°F4% below
January average low15County figure17°F33% below
Average temperature15County figure50°F9% below
Annual precipitation15County figure38.3 in13% below
Natural hazard risk16County figure100.08% above
Hurricane risk16County figure48.931% below
Tornado risk16County figure100.023% above
Wildfire risk16County figure55.89% below
Heat wave risk16County figure99.811% above
Median air quality index17County figure5323% above
Good air days17County figure40.8%40% below
08

South Barrington in 2030: where the trends point

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. Its projected home value growth beats 2%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median household income$221,575 (2024)$285,500$241,000 to $337,500+4.3%
Median home value$908,300 (2024)$1,236,000$897,000 to $1,702,000+5.3%
Population5,071 (2025)5,1204,910 to 5,330+0.2%

The median home would be worth 4.3 years of the median income in 2030, against 4.1 now.

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

09

Places like South Barrington

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

PlaceRentIncome
Town and Country, MO$1,955$232,534Compare
Neshanic Station, NJ$2,144$221,395Compare
Briarcliff Manor, NY$2,433$229,732Compare
Braddock, VA$2,419$211,689Compare
Braddock, VABriarcliff Manor, NYNeshanic Station, NJTown and Country, MOSouth Barrington, ILSouth BarringtonTown and CountryBraddockSouth BarringtonTown and Country

Places built like South Barrington

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how South Barrington performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
South Barrington, IL11.9%9.8%/yr-0.1%
Old Tappan, NJ20.5%7.3%/yr13.5%Compare
Oak Brook, IL17.7%4.5%/yr0.3%Compare
Inverness, IL20.3%1.5%/yr-2.7%Compare
Morganville, NJ20.0%7.1%/yrn/aCompare
Norwood, NJ14.1%7.9%/yr3.2%Compare
Troy Hills, NJ20.3%3.1%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is South Barrington a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 86 out of 100, better than 86% of the places we rate and 88th of 335 in Illinois. Owning with a mortgage costs about $1,801 a month more than the median rent, a wider gap than in 97% of the 2,469 places under 10,000 people we track. Rent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 100 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings. On cost, space and class size it scores 99 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is South Barrington expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 11.9% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $908,300.

What salary do you need to live in South Barrington?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $88,000 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is South Barrington safe?

There were 59 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to South Barrington?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Town and Country, MO, Neshanic Station, NJ, Briarcliff Manor, NY and Braddock, VA.

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 Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  12. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  13. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  14. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  15. 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
  16. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  17. 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); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

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

Citytistics. “South Barrington, Illinois.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/south-barrington-illinois/

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