Cook County · Chicago-Naperville-Elgin · population 58,832
Where Des Plaines stands
At or near all-time high. home values up 5.6% in the last year. population shrinking 0.8% per year.
Home value trajectory · last 10 years
Zillow ZHVI · monthlyLifestyle scores
Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.
Rent trajectory · last 5 years
Zillow ZORI · monthlyHome value vs rent · indexed to 100
Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)Rent vs buy
At a 13.9 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in Des Plaines on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 13.9 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.
How the momentum score breaks down
methodology →Des Plaines has held up across the cycle: home values at $344,826 with +5.9% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.
Des Plaines's population is shrinking 0.8% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — if people are leaving, the buyer pool is shrinking faster than the inventory. That eventually shows up in price.
About Des Plaines
Des Plaines is a city in Cook County, Illinois, with an estimated population of 58,832. It anchors the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro area. The population has contracted 0.8% per year on average since 2020. The median home value in Des Plaines is $344,826 as of 2026-04, up 5.6% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.9% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Des Plaines average $2,068 per month, up 3.3% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 68 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.
▲ Bull case
▼ Bear case
About Des Plaines (Wikipedia)
Des Plaines is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 60,675. The city is a suburb of Chicago and is located just north of O'Hare International Airport. It is situated on and is named after the Des Plaines River, which runs through the city just east of its downtown area.
Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.
City facts
Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.
Playbook
You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.
Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.
Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.
Local safety & alerts
No active National Weather Service alerts for Cook County right now.
Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Cook County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.
Cities like Des Plaines
Run the numbers for Des Plaines
Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.
Climate & natural-disaster risk
State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.
Local sports teams
Major professional teams the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.
Current weather
Find rentals & listings
Open current Des Plaines listings on the major real-estate sites.
Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.
Local news & community
Latest news
- Body found in Des Plaines identified as missing Glenview man: policeFOX 32 Chicago · 2d ago
- The End of Conformity in Des Plaines, Illinois – Michelle Van LoonThe Dispatch · 2w ago
- 7 businesses broken into at strip mall in unincorporated Maine Township in Des Plaines, Cook County Sheriff's Office saysABC7 Chicago · 5d ago
- Marion Baumhart Obituary May 17, 2026cooneyfuneralhome.com · 3d ago
- Man arrested after barricading himself inside vape shop in Des Plaines, Illinois, police sayCBS News · 1w ago
- Des Plaines, IL Severe Weather AlertWeather Underground · 1d ago
Local chatter (Reddit)
Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.
Local economy & environment
Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.
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