Naperville, IL — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Illinois·Naperville

DuPage County · Chicago-Naperville-Elgin · population 153,124

Investors
Naperville, IL
Image: Wikipedia · Naperville, Illinois
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
73
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Naperville stands

At or near all-time high. home values up 5.0% in the last year. averaging 7.3% annual growth over 5 years.

Median home $618,452
1-year +5.0%
5-yr CAGR +7.3%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population +0.6%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$618k$340k$441k$542k$643k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
52/100
Somewhat walkable
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
30/100
Minimal transit
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
70/100
Strong remote-work fit
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

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 · monthly
$2,207/mo$1,522$1,930$2,339202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent142136100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 23.4
Lean rent

At a 23.4 price-to-rent ratio, the math is starting to lean toward renting in Naperville. Owner-occupier ROI requires longer holds and the assumption that prices keep appreciating roughly at the rate of rent.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
75 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
75 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
57 · w16%
Rent YoY
70 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
63 · w10%
Long thesis

Naperville has averaged 7.3% annual appreciation over five years and the trend is still live (+5.0% in the last 12 months). When a momentum trade keeps working, the simplest explanation is usually correct: more people want in.

Short thesis

Naperville's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Naperville

Naperville is a city in DuPage County, Illinois, with an estimated population of 153,124. It anchors the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro area. The population grew 0.6% annually from 2020 to 2024, a moderate gain. The median home value in Naperville is $618,452 as of 2026-04, up 5.0% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +7.3% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Naperville average $2,207 per month, up 3.7% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 73 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Healthy 5-year run: +7.3% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Quiet strength: +5.0% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Naperville (Wikipedia)

Naperville is a city in DuPage and Will counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is a city southwest of Chicago located 28 miles (45 km) west of the city on the DuPage River. As of the 2020 census, its population was 149,540, making it the state's fourth-most populous city.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

Area39.70 sq mi
Elevation705 ft
Settled1831
MottoGreat Service – All the Time
Density3823.57/sq mi
Named forJoseph Naper

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

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.

Seller

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.

Investor

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 DuPage County right now.

NWS active alerts (IL)Illinois Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. DuPage County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Naperville

72 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Kinloch$1,201,018+0.5%
2Ashwood Park$1,103,717+2.0%
3Naperville Highlands$968,937+0.4%
4River Run$963,049+0.8%
5Century Farms$944,749+3.6%
6Tamarack$921,851+1.3%
7Stillwater$915,367+2.7%
8Ashwood Creek$907,743+3.6%
9White Eagle Club$888,758+4.0%
10Breckenridge Estates$886,263+3.1%
11Naperville Historic District$886,228+5.0%
12Tall Grass$857,664+1.3%
13Aero Estates$831,997+3.6%
14River Woods$822,360+5.7%
15Westwind$820,660+3.7%
16Brighton Ridge$804,967+1.3%
17Winding Creek Estates$798,608+8.4%
18Brookwood Trace$794,847+4.0%
19Huntington Hill$783,399+7.0%
20Ashbury$781,320+2.1%
21South Pointe$775,788-0.1%
22Knoch Knolls$775,769+4.5%
23Timber Creek$768,871+1.7%
24Hobson West$767,555+9.7%

See the full neighborhood ranking →

Cities like Naperville

Champaign, IL76 · RisingCrystal Lake, IL73 · RisingSt. Charles, IL69 · RisingBuffalo Grove, IL70 · Rising

Run the numbers for Naperville

ToolCan I afford Naperville?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Naperville rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Naperville to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolNaperville cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
33° / 18°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
85° / 64°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
189
~52% of year
Annual precip
38″ rain
22″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
High
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Low
Flood
Moderate

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

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Naperville listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
71%
Humid climate
Median household income
$78,400
Illinois state median
Top industries (state-level)
FinanceManufacturingHealthcare

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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