Living in St. Charles, IL
Suburb in Illinois
St. Charles is a suburb in Illinois, home to about 33,000 people, with 4.0 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, there is some transit, though many people drive. Life moves at a fast pace, and homes are a mix of apartments and houses.
Is St. Charles a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Strong healthcare: 16 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Safe: violent crime is 0.3× the US rate (FBI 2019)
- Big job market: about 4.0 million people live within 31 mi
- Strong public schools: test results well above the US average
👎 Cons
- Higher taxes: about $2,002 state income tax per resident, 2.3% property tax
- Cloudier than most places
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how St. Charles ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in St. Charles: common questions
What is the cost of living in St. Charles?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $410k, 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 St. Charles?
Illinois collects about $2,002 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 2.3% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is St. Charles safe?
Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.3× in FBI 2019 data).
How are the schools in St. Charles?
Public schools in St. Charles test well above the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 15 students per teacher.
What is the weather like in St. Charles?
St. Charles has long, snowy winters: winter days average around 34°F and summer days around 82°F, with roughly 46″ of snow a year.
Does St. Charles 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 1.11 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to St. Charles?
The nearest major airport is ORD, about 21 mi away.
How St. Charles scores
Each bar compares St. Charles 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 St. Charles
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 St. Charles right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.