Living in Carol Stream, IL
Suburb in Illinois
Carol Stream is a suburb in Illinois, home to about 39,000 people, with 7.3 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, much of daily life is walkable. Life moves at a fast pace, and homes are mostly apartments.
Is Carol Stream a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Strong healthcare: 25 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Safe: violent crime is 0.2× the US rate (FBI 2019)
- Big job market: about 7.3 million people live within 31 mi
- Lots of culture: museums, zoos and attractions nearby
👎 Cons
- Higher taxes: about $2,002 state income tax per resident, 2.58% property tax
- Cloudier than most places
- Few dog parks: 13 within 9 mi
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Carol Stream ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Carol Stream: common questions
What is the cost of living in Carol Stream?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $373k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $2,290 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 104, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Carol Stream?
Illinois collects about $2,002 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 2.58% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Carol Stream safe?
Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.2× in FBI 2019 data).
How are the schools in Carol Stream?
Public schools in Carol Stream test above the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 14 students per teacher.
What is the weather like in Carol Stream?
Carol Stream has cold winters: winter days average around 34°F and summer days around 82°F, with roughly 34″ of snow a year.
Does Carol Stream get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding, cold waves and tornadoes: 4 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 1.04 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Carol Stream?
The nearest major airport is ORD, about 12 mi away.
How Carol Stream scores
Each bar compares Carol Stream with the other 1,990 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
Places like Carol Stream
These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.
The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).
Nearby
See all the best places to live in Illinois.
Is Carol Stream right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.