St. Charles, IL — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Illinois·St. Charles

Kane County · Chicago-Naperville-Elgin · population 33,482

InvestorsRenter-friendly
St. Charles, IL
Image: Wikipedia · St. Charles, Illinois
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
69
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where St. Charles stands

At or near all-time high. home values up 5.1% in the last year. averaging 7.3% annual growth over 5 years.

Median home $468,781
1-year +5.1%
5-yr CAGR +7.3%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population +0.3%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$469k$254k$332k$410k$488k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
76/100
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
$1,909/mo$1,282$1,657$2,031202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent142140100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 20.5
Lean rent

At a 20.5 price-to-rent ratio, the math is starting to lean toward renting in St. Charles. 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
51 · w16%
Rent YoY
43 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
65 · w10%
Long thesis

St. Charles has averaged 7.3% annual appreciation over five years and the trend is still live (+5.1% in the last 12 months). When a momentum trade keeps working, the simplest explanation is usually correct: more people want in.

Short thesis

St. Charles'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 St. Charles

St. Charles is a city in Kane County, Illinois, with an estimated population of 33,482. It anchors the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro area. The median home value in St. Charles is $468,781 as of 2026-04, up 5.1% 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 St. Charles average $1,909 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (-0.4%). The composite momentum score is 69 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: +5.1% 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 St. Charles (Wikipedia)

St. Charles or Saint Charles is a city in Kane and DuPage Counties, Illinois, United States. The population was 33,081 at the 2020 census, and was estimated at 33,482 in 2024. It lies roughly 35 miles west of Chicago on Illinois Route 64. The official city slogan is "Pride of the Fox", after the Fox River that runs through the center of town. St. Charles is part of a tri-city area along with Geneva and Batavia, all western Chicago suburbs of similar size and socioeconomic condition.

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

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 Kane County right now.

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

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

Cities like St. Charles

Vernon Hills, IL71 · RisingGrayslake, IL71 · RisingCrystal Lake, IL73 · RisingDeKalb, IL74 · Rising

Run the numbers for St. Charles

ToolCan I afford St. Charles?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a St. Charles rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare St. Charles to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolSt. Charles 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 St. Charles 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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