Arlington Heights vs Lowell
The short version
- Arlington Heights is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 4% lower than in the Lowell area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $414,500 in Arlington Heights and $429,200 in Lowell.
- Households earn more in Arlington Heights ($116,723 vs $78,658 median).
- Lowell gets far more snow: 59 inches a year vs 38.
- Lowell is growing faster: +3.8% since 2020 vs -1.9%.
Side by side
| Arlington Heights, IL | Lowell, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 76,216 | 119,971 |
| Growth since 2020 | -1.9% | +3.8% |
| People per square mile | 4,588 | 8,815 |
| Median age | 42.6 | 35.6 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 60% | 30% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $116,723 | $78,658 |
| Median home value | $414,500 | $429,200 |
| Home value to income | 3.6× | 5.5× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,760 | $1,625 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 103.6 | 108.3 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 112.0 | 148.4 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $77,700 | $81,200 |
| Homeowners | 74% | 43% |
| Top state income tax | 4.95% | 9% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.98% | 6.25% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 27.7 | 27.9 |
| Work from home | 25% | 11% |
| Take public transit | 4% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 3.5% | 5.7% |
| Poverty rate | 6% | 16.9% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 32° / 19° | 35° / 19° |
| July high / low | 85° / 66° | 83° / 63° |
| Precipitation per year | 38 in | 41 in |
| Snowfall per year | 38 in | 59 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 17 | 15 |
| Nights below freezing | 121 | 123 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Very High | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 100.0 | 96.9 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 30% | 71% |
| Home prices, past year | +6.2% | +2.8% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +45.5% | +39.7% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Arlington Heights: May to October. Lowell: May to September.
Full monthly tables: Arlington Heights weather by month and Lowell weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $77,700 in Arlington Heights and $81,200 in Lowell. Moving from Arlington Heights to Lowell, you would need about $78,400 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Arlington Heights and Lowell
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Arlington Heights and Lowell.
Which would you pick?
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