Elgin vs Ithaca
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $273,000 in Elgin and $342,700 in Ithaca.
- Households earn more in Elgin ($90,282 vs $48,784 median).
- Ithaca gets far more snow: 63 inches a year vs 32.
- Ithaca is growing faster: +4.8% since 2020 vs +0.6%.
- Commutes are shorter in Ithaca (19 vs 28 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Elgin, IL | Ithaca, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 115,476 | 33,632 |
| Growth since 2020 | +0.6% | +4.8% |
| People per square mile | 3,025 | 6,241 |
| Median age | 36.7 | 23.3 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27% | 68% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $90,282 | $48,784 |
| Median home value | $273,000 | $342,700 |
| Home value to income | 3.0× | 7.0× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,361 | $1,447 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 103.6 | 103.3 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 112.0 | 128.4 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $77,700 | $77,500 |
| Homeowners | 72% | 30% |
| Top state income tax | 4.95% | 10.9% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.98% | 8.54% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 28.2 | 18.7 |
| Work from home | 13% | 25% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 9% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 6.1% | 7.3% |
| Poverty rate | 9.8% | 30.4% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 30° / 14° | 31° / 15° |
| July high / low | 84° / 63° | 80° / 58° |
| Precipitation per year | 40 in | 38 in |
| Snowfall per year | 32 in | 63 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 15 | 5 |
| Nights below freezing | 139 | 148 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively Low |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 94.6 | 73.9 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 30% | 93% |
| Home prices, past year | +6% | -5.2% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +53% | +41.6% |
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: Elgin: June to September. Ithaca: May to September.
Full monthly tables: Elgin weather by month and Ithaca 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 Elgin and $77,500 in Ithaca. Moving from Elgin to Ithaca, you would need about $74,800 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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