Des Plaines, IL vs Reading, PA

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Des Plaines

76.4

#348 nationally

Reading

74.9

#536 nationally

Des Plaines leads in crime level (3.3 vs 9.2). Des Plaines leads in median household income ($86,552 vs $42,852). Reading leads in cost of living index (88 vs 112).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Des Plaines, IL	Reading, PA
WhereAtHome Score	76.4 (#348)	74.9 (#536)
Population	58,010	94,903
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$360,725	$268,328
Median Household Income	$86,552	$42,852
Average Commute	29.9 min	24.3 min
Walk Score	57	72
Crime Level	3.3	9.2
School Rating	N/A	N/A
Cost of Living Index	112	88
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+42.0	R+12.2